Tekken Rivals
by TheCreator2015
Summary: Asuka Kazama never had to worry about death, war, or fearing for her life until Feng Wei and the Halo Initiative tore her world apart. Now she must entrust her faith in her cousin Jin, Xiaoyu, Hworang and other fighters that wish to end the cycle of hatred the Mishima family has created. And save Lili's life. Taking place immediately after Tekken 7!
1. Warm Up: The End of Everything

**Hey everyone. The Creator here with a sequel story to Tekken 7 since we probably won't get a canon one for a few years now. I really wanna do this but will only continue if enough people want me to! This story will also help me with my writing career if i can get enough people's attention! Without further ado - GET READY FOR THE NEXT BATTLE!**

Tanks lay dormant on the road, bodies spread along the battlefield. Flames licked at the corpses dashed along the square. Large screens and storefront windows sparked and fell apart. The G-Corporation soldiers and Tekken Force fighters had made a stand against each other, ending in complete carnage.

Jin Kazama knew what he came here to do, the Devil within him pushing the man forward as he watched the man in front of him, his purple and black suit ripped in several places. Jin held his right arm, blood flowing freely from a cut caused by his father's laser beam. The Devil in front of him had just reverted to his normal form, the red eye glistening as menacingly as his smile.

"Hmph. You call that a fight!?" Kazuya Mishima closed his fist, blue electricity flowing against it, "Pitiful. To think someone as weak as you was born from me."

Jin tried to keep his balance, the wound clouding his judgement, "Every fighting move I've used against you…I learned from my mother…or on my own…"

Kazuya faltered, alerting Jin. The mention of Jun Kazama seemed to affect him somehow, which confused the boy. He also noticed his father's demonic eye fade a bit, though it quickly returned as Kazuya smirked wickedly, "That bitch, huh? It's a shame she died. Apparently, she was just as pitiful as you!"

Something inside Jin snapped, one of his own eyes glowing bright red, and demonic tattoos growing on his forehead, "Don't you dare…mention my mother!" Jin flew into the air, charging a beam of red energy toward Kazuya, "Die, you filth!"

Mishima smirked, violet consuming his body as he reverted to his devil form, a blue aura surrounding him, deflecting the beam into a nearby restaurant. Jin aimed a kick towards Kazuya, hitting him in the face. The old man fell back, head first into the ground, allowing Devil Jin to twist his demonic spine and kick his father four times in a row.

Devil Kazuya rolled out of the way, ducking and throwing a quick uppercut at his son, his arm laced with blue electricity. Devil Jin blocked it, moving backwards. The father stepped back, aiming another laser beam towards Jin, who quickly ducked, then sent an uppercut and overhead Kazuya's way, knocking him away.

"Enough of this!" Devil Kazuya clenched his fist, then threw it backwards, posing dynamically. Jin was caught off guard, unable to react as if time slowed temporarily. Kazuya send a mid-punch into Jin's stomach, threw two uppercuts – launching Kazama into the air – and ended the sadistic combo with a vengeful laser beam that ripped through Jin's biker jacket, blood spraying into the air.

Kazuya folded his arms, grinning menacingly, "Die…"

Jin reverted to base form, his body failing him. Crawling away from his father, Jin coughed up blood, his back hitting a broken statue of the city's mayor. Jin shook his head, unable to accept the situation at hand. He couldn't lose to his father. Not yet. It was his own fault for going ahead of Lars, Lee and Alisa. The plan was to group up and push the resistance out of the square, but the Devil inside him yearned to kill Kazuya single handedly.

How could he be so stupid?

Kazuya picked Jin up by his throat, the younger man trying to get air into his lungs, "You call yourself a fighter? I'm almost fifty and you can't even dream of defeating me. Just give it up. I'll make your death swift."

Jin felt his humanity come back, and with it, came the pain and shock of the battle. Kazuya had was better control of the Devil within him. He was much stronger. Yet Kazama continued to struggle with his. Day in and day out he would find himself succumbing to it. Flying off into the night, terrorizing city folk, shooting up random buildings. But Kazuya? He knew what he wanted. Mishima desired nothing more than destruction and carnage, though Kazama just couldn't understand why.

"You're a monster. Just for the sake of being one…Why? It makes no sense! Why are you doing this? You're no better than Heihachi!"

Kazuya's red eye diminished completely, his body frozen and his grip loosening, "No…no I am not!" The demonic eye returned, Mishima then throwing Jin against a wall, punching him through it. Kazama hit a car, flattening the tires with his weight. Jin coughed up blood more, his jacket completely obliterated, exposing his bare chest. He looked up, only to see Kazuya grab his head, throwing his leg up and whacking him twice until he was on the ground again.

"Heihachi…was more of a devil than either of us! You could never understand!" Kazuya screamed, kicking Jin before he could get up.

Jin shook his head, "You're no better than him! You treat me like trash! You treat everyone like garbage, and for what!? You got your revenge! What did I do to you, Kazuya!"

Mishima screamed, about to punch Jin, then turning to hit the area of the wall next to him. Kazama was speechless, expecting to be a blood splatter on the surface of the building. He slowly opened his eyes, finishing Kazuya's looking right into his. His father was crying, his eyes both normal hue and his body shaking, "Help me…"

Kazama didn't know what to do. He stood there, trying to comprehend what was happening. Did Kazuya just ask him for help? Help from what?

The Devil inside Mishima returned, screaming as he headbutted Jin through the wall of the courthouse. The building had been evacuated long before the battle started. Shotgun shells and sandbags lay across the staircases, blood splatters decorating the tile. Kazuya held his head, yelling as he stepped this way and that.

Jin watched his father, a part of him wanting to take the opportunity to dispose of his sperm donor, though the human side genuinely concerned for the man. Maybe it was the fact that his Devil form has been overused during this struggle, but he just didn't have much energy left.

"Do you think this is a game! This body is mine!" Kazuya flew into the air, his demon form returning, "I will kill all of you! Die, you filth!" He looked down toward Jin who held his bleeding arm once more, "You…You will not ruin this for me! First, I'll kill you, then the other Mishimas! Now perish!"

Devil Kazuya soared downward, a fist outspread towards the young man. Jin shook his head, one of his eyes glowing red at the last second, "Feel the wrath of god…"

Kazuya punched Jin dead in his face, the latter absorbing the blow as he positioned his hands in a dynamic stance and inhaled sharply. Kazama then threw a heavy punch into Kazuya's face. Grunting heavily, Jin threw electric-laced jabs into Kazuya's chest repeatedly, staggering him as he backed up.

"What!?" Kazuya yelled, his body stunned, "Why can't I move!? This feeble body! You've damaged it!"

The demon looked at Jin, time moving slowly as Kazama reeled back with one final blow, "It's over…Devil…FEEL THE FURY!" Jin punched Kazuya square in the jaw, feeling bone crumble against his fist. Devil Kazuya went flying out of the building, smacking into a skyscraper that immediately caved in and shattered on top of him, several electronics and gas-operated objects exploding during the spectacle. Jin held his head, falling over and almost passing out as smoke billowed into the courthouse.

The boy had so many questions, his brain still not comprehending the situation that presented himself. Why did his father struggle when he mentioned Jun and Heihachi? Why did Kazuya ask for help? And why was Kazuya…crying…?

"He's in here!" Jin spaced in and out for a long time as a familiar robot came into view, her black combat suit bearing the Tekken Force logo – a red lion outlined by a black diamond.

"Excellent! He isn't dead after all!" His adopted uncle's white hair and handsome face came into view, "This idiot sure is lucky."

"We don't have forever everyone!" The final voice came from his blood uncle, the soldier holding an SMG and his black cape flowing behind him, "The Eastern Phoenix Police Department are on their way! Alisa, Lee – let's get him into the van. I'll meet up with you after I search for survivors."

"Of course, Lars!" Alisa Bosconovitch quickly picked Jin up, carrying him with ease. She looked at him with an annoyed expression, "Who's useless now, huh?"

Lee Chaolan scolded her, "Now, now, he's not completely useless. He got the job done, didn't he?" The man straightened his blue tie, "As much as I hated Kazuya, I can't believe he's actually gone."

Bosconovitch shook her head, "According to my data banks, the probability of a Mishima dying from an explosion is approximately 5%."

Lee opened the back of the van for her, Alisa depositing Jin's immobile body, "You're starting to scare me, sweetheart. I can't say I like those odds."

Jin felt something in his chest, like a deadly premonition and tried look up out of the window as the van started to move. Kazama winched as he sat himself up, looking back at the crushed skyscraper. He noticed the ash pile that had formed, some kind of heatwave appearing at the top. Jin closed his eyes, then reopened them, both now a bright red.

At the top of the pile, a violet spirit stood there, looking back at him. Before he could react, the being vanished, a trail of black shooting into the air.

Jin shook his head, wanting to tell his rescuers, but his voice denying his attempt. Lee looked back at him, "Don't worry Jin, you're safe now. Kazuya is no longer a threat to us."

Jin lay down, his eyes forcing themselves closed as his voice made one last attempt to warm the two of the imminent struggles ahead, "That's what I'm afraid of…"

 **Tekken Rivals**


	2. First Bout: Deadly Premonition

**Alright so I'll be updating my Wattpad more often than this so if you want faster updates on this story, follow me there. Anyway, GET READY FOR THE NEXT BATTLE!**

"No, no Lili, get serious!" Asuka Kazama placed her hands on her hips, shaking her head at the grounded French girl who held her head and whined in frustration.

"Why do those punches hurt so much!?" Emelie de Rochefort covered her face, annoyance in her voice, "It's not fair! You're so small, and yet you dislocated my shoulder twice now."

"You're the one who wanted to learn Kazama -style. It's a heavy-type style that focuses on exerting as much force into each punch as possible, as opposed to landing multiple hits. Come on, just use the sudden parry I showed you," Kazama smirked, "And don't call me small."

Lili shook her head and dusted off her violet karate gi, "You are small, Kazama. I'm taller than you by a few inches."

Asuka smirked, lunging at Lili, who tried to parry the attack, but was overpowered by the woman's momentum. Asuka pinned Lili down, the latter having a pleasant view of the karate instructor's breasts. Kazama winked, "That's not what I meant."

Rochefort blushed, "Boobs aren't everything, you know? If your bust is so great, why don't you have a boyfriend, huh?"

Kazama let the girl up, lifting her to her feet and bowing in front of her, "Maybe I don't want one right now. Did you ever think of that?"

Lili curtsied, "Well what about that boy your cousin fights with? We met him a few times during the tournaments. What was his name – it started with an H, I think."

Asuka hid her face, changing the subject, "We worked up a bit of a sweat, let's have some lunch."

Kazama slid a shrimp dumpling into her mouth, drooling a bit, "My dad's recipe is amazing! The spices he uses in these dumplings are making my mouth cum!"

Lili tried to grip her chopsticks correctly to no avail, grabbing a fork on the table, "Don't wet yourself, Asuka. It's just food. Though I will admit that Japanese cuisine has always fascinated me. You all eat so much fish and rice. Don't you get tired of it."

"When you eat it as much as we do, you learn to just get used to the flavor. We have other foods here, but fish is really cheap to get being water locked and all. And there are rice fields all over Osaka. Speaking of which, how are you liking it here so far?"

Lili blushed, then looked away, "It-it's just fine. Sure, it's no mansion or noble estate but I suppose it's a small price to pay for these lessons you're teaching me. Oh, I almost forgot!" Rochefort reached into her purse and pulled a checkbook from it, scribbling onto the surface with a pen, "I should probably pay my first month's rent and lesson fees."

Asuka rubbed the back of her head, "Hey, don't sweat it right now. You can always get that to me later. Beating your ass earlier is payment enough for now."

Lili stuck her tongue out at her, "Oh shut up, you ruffian. I wasn't even trying you know!"

"So, we need to go over the parry again?"

The rich girl shook her head, sweat building on her face, "No, no, no! That's fine! I'm really enjoying the food, and we wouldn't want me throwing up all over you during practice!" Rochefort pondered for a moment, "On second thought, give me a second!" She giddily slurped at the ramen, making sure to lick her lips afterwards, "See, I'm enjoying it!"

Asuka nodded, stretching her back and slipping off her geta sandals, "Don't get too crazy. It's just food, remember?" The young woman walked over to a wall and looked at the picture of her family resting there. There was an older man with black hair, holding a young Asuka in his arms. A woman stood by them, her eyes lifeless and uninspired, dressed in a black gown much like her own.

Lili placed her fork down on the table, "Forgive me for prying, but, was your mother a good woman…?"

Kazama shrugged, "I never knew Asuko. All I know is that she disappeared sometime after my birth. Apparently, she had some illness that was highly contagious, so she packed her bags in the middle of the night and disappeared." Asuka eyed her mother's brown bangs, something oddly familiar about them. Jin Kazama – the jerk who started and apparently ended the Mishima/G-Corp War – had bangs as well, but they didn't curve to the right like Asuko's did. Much like her own hair, Asuka's mother was brown and curved to the right. The instructor scoffed at the notion.

"She's a coward. She abandoned me and my father instead of asking for help," Asuka pulled the picture off the wall and walked over to a nearby trash can, where she dumped the portrait.

Lili sipped a bit of tea from her ceramic glass, "Don't you think that was a bit harsh?"

Kazama shook her head, "No. What's harsh is leaving your husband with a child, expecting him to raise it on his own even though they both committed to the act of intercourse. Illness or not, there had to be a way to cure it."

"Maybe it isn't that simple."

Asuka rolled her eyes, "What do you know? You can probably just buy any prescriptions you need if you ever got sick."

Rochefort scoffed, "Don't bring my father's money into this. It's not my fault you're in a lower class than me. Instead of blaming me for all your problems, why don't you find some way to make the money?"

"I did find a way! The King of Iron Fist Tournament VII! I finally had a way to help my father get better, and that bastard Heihachi cheated me out of my money!" Asuka punched the wall, a hole going through to the other side. The woman screamed, holding her head and falling butt first to the ground. After all the effort of going to the tournament, and all the fighters she had to subdue – only for it to end at a stalemate between herself and the wrestler that called himself King.

Lili shook her head, "I never would've entered you into the tournament if I knew that would happen…"

Asuka spat in her direction, tears falling down her face, "As if you actually cared! If you really wanted me to get the money, you would've…let…me…win…"

Rochefort continued eating her ramen as the truth of the situation set in. Lili entered her into the King of Iron Fist Tournament VII not to toy with her like some plaything, but rather, give her a chance at the 4,000,000 G prize. If only Heihachi Mishima hadn't cheated her.

Asuka looked over at Lili, a part of her wanting to give the French girl a hug, but her pride got the best of her, "Thanks, Lili."

Rochefort shook her head, "For what? The tournament was cancelled. You never got anything. And Shun is still in the hospital."

Asuka thought of her father – a formidable martial artist, but also a great cook and a loving father. She missed him so much and no amount of visitation could change that. Her jobs as an instructor at the Kazama-Style dojo and custodian at the Mishima Polytechnic brought in enough for her to keep the lights on, but Shun Kazama's hospital bills were high – a whopping 2,573,400 yen. She almost collapsed thinking about it.

Lili was about to speak up, but Asuka shot her down immediately, "No Lili, I'm not accepting handouts. I'm going to make my father better…somehow…I'm just not sure how yet…"

Rochefort sighed, eating more of her ramen, "I'm only trying to help."

"I know, and I appreciate it…" Asuka smiled, looking back at her and nodding, "We've been at each other's throats for the longest time. But I can't help but noticed that our rivalry has actually brought us much closer."

Lili winked, "Don't drop your guard just because I like you. I'll still kick your peasant behind to hell and back."

Asuka clenched her fists, but couldn't hide her smile, "Who are you calling a peasant, you dumb blonde?"

Suddenly a strong wind flooded through the room, the doors suddenly opening and blowing debris into the living room. Asuka shook her head, coughing as the trash settled, "What the hell?" She looked around for her friend, then sighed when she spotted the woman spitting dust from her mouth and waving her hands around in disgust.

"Yuck! Asuka, your dirty house is dirtier now! I need a shower!" Lili cried.

Kazama shook her head, heading for the doors, then suddenly pausing when she noticed something sitting in Lili's ramen bowl. It was a round, forest green object with a metal piece sticking out. Asuka quickly realized what the object was and widened her eyes, "Lili…"

Rochefort picked up the chopsticks, "Yes, I know, I should be using these. I'll get the hang of it, I promise…" She was about to continue her meal when Lili noticed the object and slowly picked it up with her chopsticks. The blonde looked up at her friend, frozen in fear, "Asu-!"

The ringing in Asuka's ears and the flames that engulfed the dojo filled her with despair. Was she dead? Is this body just the empty shell of a spirit floating about her corpse? The woman slowly lifted her head, covering her bleeding face. She felt her legs buckle, the muscles in them crying in agony.

"Fuck!" Asuka slowly crawled against a wall, holding onto the broken structure and trying desperately to get to her feet. The rest of the wall crumbled, leaving Asuka back to where she started, "Lili! Lili help!" Kazama lay on the ground, trying to find another surface to crawl to, when she noticed a figure walk towards her. It was a familiar man, his arms chiseled and his face stern. He had a gray widow's peak ending into a long ponytail, a long scarf along his neck and black Chinese pants with gold boots. One of his fists bore a red gauntlet, which he used to carve a path into a nearby wall, crimson staining the surface.

Kazama breathed heavily, something stirring inside her that she never felt before. Coughing up blood, the woman looked up at him, her vision blurry, "F…Feng…Wei…you monster!"

Feng stayed silent, still carving into the wall. He suddenly stopped, smirking, then pulled at the wall until a large chunk of it fell onto the ground. A safe sat there, one that Asuka had never been aware of. Was Feng stealing some kind of emergency fund from her father?

"You bastard! I don't have anything of yours, so get the hell out!" Kazama suddenly found the strength to get on one knee.

Feng looked back at her, "Asuka Kazama. Excuse me if I don't believe you. Your family was indeed in possession of one of my scrolls."

"It was one of my distant relatives. You destroyed my father's dojo twice now and put him in the hospital!" A white anger filled Asuka's soul. The man that tore her world apart years ago was again in her home without cause. And what's worse is that Lili could be badly hurt if not worse because of this man.

"Don't strain yourself…You'll be dead from your wounds soon…" Wei held back a fist, ready to drive it into the safe, when he felt his muscles lock up. Looking back, he found Asuka's right hand on his limb, digging into his skin.

Kazama felt a warm fluid rise up from her feet, covering her cuts and exposed bone marrow, which ended on the left side of her face. Instantly she felt full of energy, as if her body hadn't been blown apart by a grenade. She felt something like this before with her cousin, as if she had absorbed some of his pain and took it onto her own body, eventually diminishing it completely. But this was entirely different. Asuka had no intention of freeing Feng from pain.

She only desired to hurt him.

Feng threw her arm away and send a fist into her stomach. The woman smiled, taking the man's hand and pulling him towards her, flipping him onto his back. He groaned in pain, but quickly rolled to the side, barely missing Asuka's foot. She then sent an elbow into his jaw, followed by a few overhead kicks, which he blocked.

"You're gonna regret messing with me, Feng!" Kazama's eyes flashed yellow, alarming Feng, who sent another flurry of punches Asuka's way. The woman was too quick, blocking the combination and sending both of her elbows upward, sending him flying into the air. Asuka kicked the man away, sending him into the kitchen as he broke the long table inside.

"What are you!? Do you have the Devil Gene as well!?" Feng tried to stand, holding his ribcage, "You should be dead by now!"

Asuka breathed heavily, the yellow in her eyes dimming as she walked into the kitchen. Asuka sent a fist towards Feng who tried to block it, but failed and flew back against the wall, the wood breaking onto the floor.

Wei struggled to look up at Kazama who bore her teeth, "I will kill you! I will never forgive you!"

Feng didn't respond, noticing the change in her eye color and the melting away of the black sludge, the cuts and bruises not fully healed. Wei smiled, which alarmed Asuka.

"What are you laughing at, scum!" Kazama held a fist up, "You're gonna get hurt, you know? Now isn't the time for smiles."

Feng slowly stood, ignoring his rib pain and held a hand behind his back, the other beckoning Asuka to attack him, "Come on!"

Asuka let her anger guide her, a prideful smile on her face, "Gladly!" Kazama punched her left hand a couple of times, reeling back and sending a punch towards Wei, who easily caught it in his hand, pulling her arm upward and snapping the bone within. Kazama's body went into shock, not immediately feeling the pain, as she was more concerned about where all her newfound strength had gone.

Feng threw her against the oven, her body crumpling. The God Fist master slowly walked up to her, the cuts on her face bleeding more. She placed her hand onto her left cheek, "No…where did all that power go!"

Wei shook his head, "I suppose you truly are nothing more than a pretty face…Let's change that…" Asuka threw a punch that Feng caught, twisting her left arm behind her back and forcing her down onto the surface of the oven, "You will burn with this dojo and with the thieving product that is Kazama style…" Feng used his other hand to turn on the oven to its highest setting, heat surging into the side of Asuka's face and burning skin and tissue off her face. Her screams and struggling only fueled Feng to continue until he was sure the damage was irreversible.

Finally, he let her go, the woman falling to the ground. The left side of her face was lit with flame, her teeth visible where skin used to be. She tried to roll against the ground, but her broken arm refused to budge. She was left lying there, burning as more of the dojo collapsed around her.

She looked up, consciousness hanging on a thread to see Feng slowly walk towards out of the kitchen. Another wall fell, revealing the man as he took the safe from its place in the wall. Finally, he looked back at Asuka, a small, menacing grin stretching across his face, "Say hello to your father for me."

Asuka closed her eyes once last time, her world disappearing from existence.


	3. Second Bout: Broken

**HEY ALL! Thanks for all the views, support, and kind words! Just so you know, I do YouTube as well and I'm accepting any small amount of support i can get so that i can continue this awesome adventure! Anyway, let me know if you want anything different with this or if you have any predictions. Love you all! Anyway, without further ado - GET READY FOR THE NEXT BATTLE!**

 _Asuka Kazama swam through the black sludge, coughing up a foreign fluid that tasted of metal and dust. The world around her was a destroyed, fallen garden, surrounded by dead trees, decaying plants, and a pool of black water. Kazama slowly looked towards the left, almost fainting when she came face to face with a demonic woman, her eyes filled with a demonic yellow._

 _"What the hell!?" Asuka tried to move back, but found her arms and legs engulfed by the black sludge. The woman tilted her head, as if trying to recognize Asuka. The demon's eyes widened, and a smile crawled onto her face. She placed a hand onto Asuka's face, black fluid rushing along the limb, onto Asuka's face._

 _Kazama tried to scream, only to have the black substance fill her throat and cut off her air supply. Turning blue in the face, Asuka continued to break free from the black prison, only to find herself falling deeper and deeper into the abyss._

Asuka cried out, her entire body drenched with sweat, freaking out more when she felt someone holding her down. A man in a black suit with white hair tried to settle her, only to get punched in the face. Asuka held her shoulders, tears running down her face, "Get away from me! Where the hell am I?"

The man held his nose, his voice slightly annoyed, "You are in Osaka West hospital. You've been here for the last three days, Mistress Kazama."

"Who are you?" Asuka felt her face – it was covered in gauze, "I didn't tell anyone to take me to some damn hospital…Wait…" She immediately though back to her father, "This is the same hospital my father is staying in."

"Shun Kazama, correct?" Asuka looked up to see a young man with brown hair and glasses walk up to her, "He's on the first floor, while we're on the third."

"Who are you?"

The doctor waved his hand in front of him, "I am Dr. Gregorio Abel. I have a doctorate in medicine and ergonomics. Your father is actually coming along nicely. He's due to be out of the hospital in a couple of months here."

Kazama's eyes widened – that was great news. She looked over at the older man who was wiping his face with a napkin, "Sorry about your nose, buddy."

The suited man waved a hand, "It's no problem. Any friend of Mistress Rochefort is a friend of mine."

The explosion at the dojo immediately flashed across her eyes. The explosion, the fires, the pain in the left side of her face that only faltered slightly. She paused, feeling the bandages, "Wait, you mean you stitched me up?"

Dr. Abel nodded, "It wasn't easy. You had scars all over your body. The nastiest issue was your face. But with a few weeks of plastic surgery should fix you right up!"

Asuka immediately started ripping off all the bandages, alarming both Gregorio and the old man, the former speaking first, "What are you doing, Miss Kazama?"

The fighting instructor stepped off the bed, pulling the bandage from her face, "My father is still here, bills stacked up to his chin! If anyone is getting intensive treatment, it's him!"

Abel took Asuka's hand, "But miss, you haven't even seen the damage done to your face! It's catastrophic! If you leave now, there might be permanent damage!"

Asuka thought about this, clenching her fists as Gregorio pulled his hands away, "Would you like to see? I can show you just how badly you need this surgery."

Kazama nodded, "Show me."

Dr. Abel nodded, "Sebastian, can you get this young lady a mirror?"

The older man nodded, taking a golden pocket watch from his suit jacket and handing it to the woman, "It's…it's not for the faint of heart…"

Asuka shook her head, "I can take it…" She slowly sent her eyes downward toward the mirror of the watch, the right side of her face showing. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, already concerned about the damage done. Asuka slowly turned her head, the left side of her face finally in view. Her eyes widened and breath caught in her throat. Her teeth were completely visible on this side, skin hanging on by threads. Blacks and reds stained the areas over her left eye and her hair had been charred to a crisp on this side.

Kazama felt herself fall back, and barely caught herself on the bed. The damage was terrible. How could this have happened? A hot rage billowed inside of her; she began shaking her head in disbelief, "No…how could this happen…what could I have done to deserve this!?"

"It's not hard to understand…" Asuka looked up to see another man dressed in a navy jacket, white shirt, black pants, and black shoes lean against the doorway with his arms folded. His right fist was covered in bandages and his face had several scars on it. The black bangs and ducktail filled her with even more rage.

The man continued his statement, his eyes closing, "You're related to a Mishima, as much as I hate to admit it. We're sort of a magnet for trouble, you know?"

Asuka's frown slowly twisted into a smile, her left eye turning yellow for a split second, catching the older man off guard, "Jin Kazama…You know what…? I agree with you…" In an instant, Asuka was off the bed, racing for her older cousin, who stood in a defensive stance.

"I really don't have the patience for this…." Jin moved his hands in a position that was akin to surrender, only to grab both Asuka's hands and flip her onto the ground, placing a foot on her neck.

Sebastian and Gregorio both gasped, the former clenching his fists, "You criminal! Why aren't you in jail?"

Jin held onto his cousin, who's wounds quickly reopened, blood flowing onto the tile floor, "After…killing Kazuya," the pause in his sentence didn't go unnoticed by Asuka, who continued to struggle underneath Jin's foot, "the courts here in Osaka heard my claims regarding Azazel. I could still go to prison if I'm not careful, but if I can manage to prove that Azazel, my grandparents, and the Devil Gene are the real evils at play here, maybe I can clear my name…Though I figure it won't be that simple…"

Asuka bit Jin's foot, causing him to release her. She quickly jumped to her feet, blood running down the side of her face and legs, "You idiot! You think you can just waltz in here and exposition your way out of the fucking WAR you started months ago? You're not some hero, you scumbag! You're a piece of trash that should be locked up and rotting!"

Jin looked down, then back up at her, his fists at the ready, "You don't think I'm aware of all that? I can still try to do right, can't I? No matter what the Devil Gene pushed me to do, I will make this right!" Asuka sent an elbow flying at Jin, who blocked it, following up with a double shotgun-like punch to her shoulders. Stunned, Jin fell to a knee, slamming his fist into her shins, sending her sprawling into a tray of food and medicine. The nurse looking over the station ran off in fear.

Asuka's left eye illuminated yellow once more, black sludge returning to her wounds as they healed themselves. All except for the side of her face, whereas the dark substance merely intensified how broken and twisted she now looked. Jin stepped back, unsure of what was happening to her, "Asuka…Your face…your limbs…"

Asuka held out a hand, the other winding up, causing her breasts to shake, "I'll give you a little something before I completely break your face. I'd be doing this entire world a favor!"

Jin shook his head, "No. Not you too…" He clenched his fists, "How do you even have it!?"

Asuka ignored him and motioned towards him, a flail of black coming out the tile floor and hitting him in the face, sending him flying against the wall. He looked up, then quickly rolled to the side, ready to counter. Jin send three quick punches into Asuka's back, a white flash engulfing her body with each hit as she absorbed the damage. Asuka laughed, backhanding the man, then sending two elbows into his chest. He flew into the air, about to fall back to the ground when three flails of black sludge broke more and more of the tile in the hallway, hitting him in the back and spraying blood along the walls.

Asuka watched Jin land head first into the pavement, a red anger consuming her body, then punched a fist into her hand, "This one's gonna hurt!" Asuka sent a hard punch into Jin's leg, sending him back into the air. She then summoned two flails from the ground, one throwing Jin farther away, and the other bringing him back. Right before Jin hit the ground, Asuka wound up one last punch.

"Idiot!" A final jab slammed into Jin's face, causing more red essence to spray along the walls. Jin flew one final time, crashing into an empty pharmacy and breaking several bottles of prescriptions before he fell against a shelf full of glasses and beakers.

Asuka punched open the door, walking towards Jin as the black material slid off of her body, revealing her open wounds. The adrenaline in Asuka's body kept her walking forward, her rage subsiding slightly. She knelt down, poking at Jin who now held his back in agony, "Man, you're weak. To think you ran the Mishima Zaibatsu at one point."

"And you're a bitch," Jin winced, "If you're trying to kill me, I suggest you get in line. There are plenty others ahead of you."

"Kill…" Kazama held her head, her body starting to falter. She felt her eyes close on their own and her legs became like cooked ramen noodles. Before she fell out of consciousness once more, she saw Jin quickly jump up to catch her.

Asuka slowly opened her eyes, tears of pain flowing freely from her ducts. Jin, Sebastian, and Abel all looked down at her with worried expressions. The girl shook her head, "I better not have more bandages on me, or I'm flipping shit."

Gregorio sighed, "No bandages, but we do have your clothes in the wash. We gave you a hospital gown to wear for now."

Asuka sat up, undoing the buttons on the gown, getting different reactions from each one of them.

Sebastian covered his eyes, "Oh dear…"

Jin stayed silent, his gaze focused.

Dr. Abel shook his head, moving her hands from the buttons and covering her revealed chest back up, "Keep it, just keep it! It's freaking free!"

Asuka sighed, relieved, then looked up at Jin who quickly looked away, massaging his wrist as if he was wearing his red gauntlets. She rolled her eyes, "Listen, I know we're Japanese and all, and I'm not necessarily mad that you were trying to sneak a peek at my dumplings, but you could've at least _pretended_ to be disgusted."

Sebastian scratched the back of his head, "Why did you call them dumplings?"

Jin folded his arms, turning to walk out the door, "I better go pay for that damage, since I still have some inheritance left from Jinpachi."

Asuka rolled her eyes, "Yeah, go ahead and rub it in. If I had fought you during the King of Iron Fist Tournament V, you wouldn't have stood a chance."

Jin looked back and smirked at her, "You're a real hothead, aren't you? Maybe we really are related."

Gregorio shook his head, "Children are one thing. Destructive children are something else entirely."

Asuka looked back at him, "Wait doctor, where is Lili? Dammit, I almost forgot about her!"

Sebastian cleared his throat, moving back a curtain that Kazama just noticed. Asuka immediately jumped out of the bed, collapsing immediately. Crawling on her knees, she went over to Lili, scared beyond belief. She was in a white bustier and jogging pants, her arms and face covered with bandages. A breathing tube was connected to her mouth, half of her teeth missing from her mouth. She was completely bald as well.

Asuka covered her mouth, instantly remembering the fact that she refused to hug her before. Not that it would've changed anything but…at least Rochefort would know that she cared about her. Asuka felt her body falter once more, Gregorio catching her and standing her up, "You can't keep doing that! You're going to die!"

"I don't give a shit!" Asuka snatched her arm away, moving her hands over Lili's body, feeling various cuts and wounds beneath the bandages, "Oh my God…Oh my God…"

Dr. Abel turned to Sebastian, "Mr. LaRoche, most of the surgeries we offer here are well within your budget, but, it might take too long. There's a line ahead of her-"

Sebastian clenched one of his fists, "Then I'll pay to cut in line! I cannot lose her, Dr. Abel. I cannot let her father down."

"That isn't the only problem, Mr. LaRoche. Even if you were at the front of the line, there's still a shortage of doctors here to operate on her. The machines in the room here and the tissue administrations can keep her going for a few weeks at most…but any real surgery to repair her damaged intestines and broken bones can't be administered for another month due to the lack of staff. Ever since the Mishima/G-Corp war, more doctors and surgeons have been stationed out of the city to help in the struggle. There are only three other doctors here that know how to administer the operation we require."

Asuka shook her head, "Fuck you Jin," she looked up at Abel, "Is there anything else you can do? Anything!? I can't just sit by and do nothing!"

Gregorio rubbed the back of his head, "Well, there's one thing I can do. As I've said before, I've repaired many robots before. I'm actually not originally from this hospital. I used to work with my older brother before I was stationed out here by the Mishima Zaibatsu to replace a surgeon who joined the war. I didn't get very many assignments, and rarely worked with him – he had Dr. Geppetto Bosconovitch as a partner already. But my brother taught me all that I know," he looked down, "That is, before he died, of course…"

Sebastian tapped his chin, "What are you getting at, Abel?"

The doctor continued, "Her broken limbs and torn intestines; I could repair them using cybernetic surgery. And it would only take about an hour or so."

Asuka perked up. They could actually save her? Kazama couldn't keep from smiling, the idea of being able to hold her rival and friend once again filled her with joy, the fierce rage in her body now more invisible than before.

Sebastian stomped a foot on the ground, "Absolutely not! That's out of the question!"

Kazama looked up at Sebastian, "W-What?"

"She's not having robotic parts put into her body! Her father would be completely against that! We just have to hope she can stay among the living until the surgeons return from the war."

Kazama stood up, lunging at Sebastian who got into a defensive stance that was much like Lili's. Dr. Abel stopped her from advancing, catching both of them off guard. Asuka's chest hit Gregorio's arm, causing her to back up and cover it, wincing. What was that? Why did just running into his arm hurt so much?

"Stop it! Fighting amongst yourselves will solve nothing," Abel sighed, looking over at Asuka, "I understand how you feel, Asuka, but you must remember that her father is the deciding factor in this. If he's against cybernetics, then there's nothing I can do."

Asuka shook her head, "That's so stupid! She's a freaking adult! She can make her own damn decisions!"

Sebastian tipped his glasses further onto his nose, "She also happens to be in a coma, Asuka! She can't make _any_ decisions in this state. We have to respect her father's wishes."

Kazama screamed, punching the wall to the right of her, then reeling back as bone began to give within her hand, "Dammit! My fucking hand!"

Dr. Abel walked up to her, "Please let me stitch you up. Your wounds are…" He looked down at her arms and legs, then at her face. The only thing he could find still damaged on her body was the large scar on her face, "How on Earth?"

Asuka waved him off, walking past him and almost knocking Sebastian down, "I guess I'm homeless now. All my crap was destroyed in the explosion. My dojo…everything…"

LaRoche looked back at Rochefort, then over to Asuka, "That's not entirely true."

Asuka looked back at Sebastian, who now had a smile on his face, "What?"

"When was your birthday, sweetheart?"

"Last Thursday. Why?"

The butler nodded, "I figured that property had more uses than Mistress Rochefort was letting on," Sebastian walked up to her, gesturing for her to exit the hospital room, "Come. I have something to show you. Something Lili wants you to see."

Asuka looked up at the clock – it was eleven at night. It was probably an appropriate time to end her hospital visit. She peered back at Lili, still laying on the bed completely still, "She wanted me to, huh?" She looked up at Sebastian, still a bit peeved at him, but realizing that he was only a butler and had as much control over the situation as she did.

Kazama nodded, a solemn smile growing on her face, "Lead the way, old man…"


	4. Third Bout: Alliance

**Sorry about the hiatus everyone. I was away from wifi for a while and didn't get a chance to write. This is more of a filler chapter but we get introduced to some new characters and we see a bit of development occur between them! And watch out for that twist at the end! If you want to stay up to date with my happenings, go here:** **/HDK3Novels**

 **Anyway, without further ado - GET READY FOR THE NEXT BATTLE!**

Asuka looked up at the tall blue and black building, a logo resting against the front. The cobalt letters K and O rested against a black diamond, shining against the sunlight. A warm wind blew against the girl's denim jacket, her sunglasses falling onto her face. She placed them back onto her forehead, then looked up at Jin, "This is mine?"

The older cousin nodded, looking down at his phone, "My great-grandfather Jinpachi Mishima wanted the Mishima Zaibatsu to focus more on martial arts and less on military might. But my grandfather, Heihachi Mishima tore the company from him and locked him underneath Hon-Maru, where he…" Jin turned away from Asuka, filling her with worry.

The younger cousin folded her arms, "You don't have to tell me Jin…if it was that bad, I'll let you hold onto it."

"No…" Jin looked back at her, his eyes glossy, "You're family…you deserve to know…" Asuka blushed, sending Jin aback, causing him to smile warmly, though it didn't last long, "Jinpachi told me that he had died of starvation. To think I ever trained with such a disgusting insect, only to have him use me and try to kill me in the process."

"Heihachi tried to kill you?"

Jin nodded, his navy coat ruffling in the wind as cherry blossom leaves swam into the air, "I have no idea why. It couldn't be because of heroics. He wanted to use my power to become stronger and rule the world. To think I trusted him…Any of the Mishimas. They're all the same."

Asuka looked down. She hadn't realized just how hard her cousin's life had been before she entered the King of Iron Fist Tournament V. Hell, she didn't even come close to winning the next tournament, "Lei didn't go easy on me at all. Apparently, Feng had entered the Sixth tournament as well, and Lei needed to chase after him. He said that if I could beat him, he'd leave everything to me."

Jin shook his head, "You really think you could've beaten me during that tournament?"

Asuka walked forward, pushing at the doors, "Doesn't matter. I lost and that's that. We're working together now, remember? No more Mishima Zaibatsu and no more King of Iron Fist Tournaments."

Jin winced, "Might not want to say that too loud. Some fanboy is going to get triggered."

"Tut, tut – I said no more KOIF tournaments. I never said, "no more tournaments," now did I?" She opened the doors, walking into the foyer. She gasped, the cobalt carpets, gold chandeliers, and flat-screen televisions taking away her breath. Posters with her face on them lay against the walls, with white frames dressed in lilacs and other beautiful flowers.

Asuka was about to faint when Jin handed her a box, "The keys to your luxury SUV are in here. Lili was apparently only planning on giving you this to replace your dirty old bike."

The girl pouted, "But I like my bike!"

"Then you won't mind if I keep it, will you?"

Asuka thought it over, then held the box close to her chest, "I'll hold onto it for now." She opened the box, a platinum strip of metal resting there, jutting from blue plastic. A note fell towards the ground, but the woman was fast enough to catch it. She opened the note, and read it aloud, "To Asuka Kazama – now you can teach martial arts to all your peasant friends and maybe even snag a boy or two. Love, Emilie."

Jin covered his mouth, hiding a smile, "Damn, was that a compliment or an insult?"

Asuka rolled her eyes, "Ugh, why is she so obsessed with me getting a boyfriend…?" She thought back to her maimed body and felt immediate guilt rise inside her throat, "Then again, maybe she just wants me to be happy."

Jin walked forward, "I should give you a tour of the facilities here, though it might be a better idea to meet your allies."

The instructor lifted an eyebrow, "Allies, huh? Well just to make Lili happy, the next cute guy I see, I'm hitting on like a bat against a baseball."

The older cousin squinted, opening a door to a large breakroom, "That might not be very wise."

Asuka looked up only to be knocked over by a shorter girl with black pigtails, "Asuka, you're okay! I'm so glad!"

The downed girl shook her head, looking confused, "Do I know you?"

"Oh, that's right! That was so rude!" The woman jumped off Asuka, spinning in a circle and posing as if squaring up to fight, "My name is Xiaoyu of the Ling clan. I'm friends with your big brother," she stood up and pressed her fingers together, "I wish I could call him big brother."

Jin covered his face, "She isn't my sister, Xiao."

Asuka dusted herself off, "Yeah, we're actually cousins. But it's nice to meet you. I guess Jin talked to you about me earlier?"

Xiaoyu pouted, her pigtails dancing as she crossed her arms underneath her chest, "He talked about you plenty. For a while, I thought you two were dating."

Jin placed his hands in his pockets, "I specifically remember using her last name on several occasions during that briefing."

Asuka interjected, "Wouldn't that just insinuate that we're married?"

Xiaoyu placed a hand on her hip, "I didn't even want to think of such a thing! I wouldn't know what to do with myself!"

Jin mumbled under his breath, "Maybe change your hair at least once in your life."

"Hey Jin, you didn't tell me you were bringing a hottie in here!" Asuka's eyes darted past Xiaoyu and rested on the black-haired man further into the breakroom, chowing down on a powdered donut. He wore a black eyepatch, white t-shirt with a red flame-like logo on the front; black jeans, and red and blue boots with spikes on the sides. Was he a biker?

Kazama felt her cheeks heat up, catching air in her throat, but shook off the butterflies and addressed the man, "I'm surprised myself. Didn't know Jin was starting a biker gang in here. What's your story, shorty?"

"Shorty?" The black-haired man poked the girl in the head, "You're looking fairly small yourself, sweetheart."

Asuka swiped away his hand, "Small? Have you seen my chest? And don't call me sweetheart."

Xiaoyu slid over to them, "Come on, you two! No fighting!"

Jin coughed into his hand, touching Asuka's shoulder, "Asuka and Hwoarang aren't fighting, though I wish that were the case."

The taller man scoffed, "What are you insinuating, edge lord?"

Asuka looked back at him, "Yeah, what are you saying?"

Jin rolled his eyes, whispering into Asuka's ear, "Stop it." He then walked past them, grabbing an energy drink off the table, "We need to focus everyone. The Tekken Force will be arriving soon enough, and we have to make sure Asuka is aware of her duties as President of this corporation.

The younger Kazama had to do a double-take, "President? Corporation? What are you talking about?"

Ling nodded, standing next to Jin and trying to hold his arm, the latter snatching it away without even looking at her, "That's what this building is for! Kazama Organization is the name of the company! It's a martial arts firm!"

Asuka shook her head, "A martial arts firm? But isn't that what the Mishima Zaibatsu was supposed to be?"

Jin folded his arms, "You remember what I told you about my great-grandfather, Jinpachi Mishima, correct? That's what he ultimately wanted for his company. To teach martial arts and fill the minds of his students with knowledge. I imagined you might want something like that for Kazama-Style martial arts."

"Indeed," Asuka peered behind her to see another man dressed in a white suit jacket and blue slacks lean against the door. He had white hair, and held a violet, sniffing it with his eyes closed, "Miss Rochefort and I worked together to build this tower and put together a little something for you and your allies."

"Lee Chaolan," Jin nodded towards him, "Thanks for earlier."

"Of course, nephew. Anything for family," Lee walked forward and handed Asuka the violet, "So, President Kazama, what is your first act as Chief Executive Officer of your very own martial arts firm?"

Asuka held her head, still not completely sure of what was happening, "This is too much. Who's one step lower than me here? Is it you, Mr. Chaolan?"

Lee shook his head, "Your brother happens to be your Vice."

Jin scratched his head, "We're not siblings and…I don't know if I should be making any decisions right now. The Tekken Force is our only military unit right now."

Xiaoyu pondered this, "The Tekken Force? You mean the Mishima Zaibatsu's old tactical unit?"

Jin nodded, "The Tekken Force that worked for the Mishima Zaibatsu and the Rebellion Force that split apart from it under Lars Alexanderson made a truce after my grandfather was killed. Lars shares the Commanding seat with Kuma, whereas Alisa Bosconovitch and Josie Rizal are lieutenants."

Hwoarang leaned against a counter with a coffee mug in his hands, "Come on, Jin, you spout all those names like we even know these people."

"You should," he turned to him, "Josie hadn't been in any tournaments, but Lars and Alisa were in the news and Kuma has been in almost every tournament. Though I have yet to understand what a bear plans on doing with a military firm."

Ling Xiaoyu interjected, "Oh, maybe he wants to use the Tekken Force to hunt for the biggest schools of salmon."

Asuka noticed Jin's smirk as he scolded Ling for thinking so foolishly, though he hid it away as quickly as it had appeared, "Anyway Xiao, you're the Head of Communications so would you mind searching for new recruits. I recommend searching for martial artists and/or former tournament fighters only."

Ling saluted Jin, her orange jacket swaying slightly, "You got it, boss!" Once again, Jin couldn't help but smirk, but only for a moment. Hwoarang watched Xiaoyu walk off, then jab Jin in the arm.

"She's a good kid, dude," the Korean winked.

Jin scoffed, "What are you suggesting?"

"Oh nothing," the man slid his hands into his pockets, walking past Asuka, but not without brushing his bare arm against Asuka's half-exposed chest, "Anyway, if you need your treasurer, boss, I'll be in Training Room C. I can show you how we fight in Korea." He winked and walked past Lee, nodding at him.

Lee lifted an eyebrow, watching him walk away, "I don't know why, but I feel like the two of us may not get along the best."

Asuka rolled her eyes, "Why, because he's prettier than you?" She immediately blush, realizing how thirsty she must've sounded, "Err, I mean, he's as pretty as a-a bad of dog feces, so I guess you're even uglier than that." Kazama could hear her older cousin snorting in the background, "Wait, that sounded really rude, I'm sorry. You're pretty, I guess?" Lee lifted an eyebrow at her, "Wait, you're probably like forty or something!"

Asuka looked over at Jin, who immediately started examining his energy drink can, "Blue Ram – this stuff really does have a kick to it, though I seem to have a distinct lack of gills against my throat."

Lee coughed, "I'm going to ignore my mixed emotions for a moment and get back to business. Since our primary focus is now finding more members, I think I'll have to make a call to an old colleague of mind. She might not be very happy to hear from me after a particular incident that occurred earlier in our professional relationship, but if I go into detail, she may be willing to help us."

Asuka nodded, "Okay." This was all happening too fast for her. First her friend gets blown to pieces, then she starts having cryptic nightmares. Now she was the CEO of her own martial arts firm? What's next?

Xiaoyu ran back up to the door, pushing Lee out of the way who pressed wrinkled from his white shirt, "Jin, I've got good news and unwelcome news!"

Kazama sighed, "What is it, Xiao?"

"Well it looks like I might've found a new recruit!"

Asuka smiled, "That's awesome, Ling!"

Jin let his smile run free this time, "Excellent job, Xiaoyu. I knew I could count on you."

Xiaoyu giggled nervously, "Well that's nice of you to say, but the bad news could make you think twice about praising me…"

The younger Kazama lifted an eyebrow, "Huh? What do you mean?"

The Chinese martial-artist beckoned them to follow her, "It might be better if you just follow me…" She then walked down the hall, leaving Asuka and Jin to look at each other, then chase her down the hall.

Lee watched them, tapping his chin, then widening his eyes, "Oh no…"

Finally, the four of them found themselves back in the foyer, seeing two men walk forward through the doors of the building. Asuka watched them, barely recognizing either of them. One had spiky hair that whisked in all directions like a spiral razorblade. He carried the other man on his shoulder, his body bruised and only his black pants and shoes supporting his body. The older man's hair was gray and his skin covered in scars. Blue electricity surged against body, causing the younger man to illuminate with his own violet aura.

"Damn it, would you stop shocking me!" Lars fell to a knee, dropping the older man onto the ground, "I can't carry you if you do that."

The latter held his chest slowly rising off the ground, "Forgive me, Lars. It seems my Electric Aura is out of control now that Devil has departed," he coughed violently, finally on his own knee as Alexanderson finally stood, holding his left arm in pain. When the older man looked up, he noticed a few faces looking back at him.

"Oh, sorry about the intrusion. I'm just wondering who's in charge, here…" The older man finally met Jin's eyes, smiling solemnly, "Ah, my son…Nice to see you again…"

Asuka caught air in her throat – the news portrayed this man as young-looking, demonic, and ruthless, but this man couldn't be the devil the broadcasts portrayed him as. Still, if Jin was staring at him with this much disgust, his hands trembling and teeth gnashing, then the mystery man had to be the same Mishima that supposedly died during the battle only a week ago.

It was Kazuya…


	5. Fourth Bout: Reunion

**This chapter came out quick, didn't it? Think of it as a THANK-YOU for being so patient :) I think this chapter will warm the hearts of many fans as more characters interact - and the goals of certain characters are being set up finally. Thanks for your patience so far! And remember to follow me on Twitter for more frequent updates (Look for the link on my profile!)**

 **GET READY FOR THE NEXT BATTLE!**

"Well isn't that nice?" Kazuya slowly rose higher off the ground, holding out his arms as Jin slowly walked toward him, "My son is coming to give his old man a hug! Come here, my strong young man!"

Jin pounced like a lion towards Kazuya, punching him in the jaw. The older man went down instantly, his back crashing against the tile. Asuka gasped, unsure of what to do. Sure, Kazuya was a bad guy, but he didn't look like he was in any condition to fight him.

Kazuya tried to stop his son's barrage of fists, wounds opening back up on his torso and face, "Damn it, Jin, you win already! KO! Stop punching me!" The younger man didn't yield.

Lars pulled Jin by the back of his jacket, forcing him off his older brother, "Alright Jin, that's enough! You made your point!"

Jin shoved his half-uncle off, "Made my point? The plan was to kill this sonuvabitch, not bring him to Kazama Organization! How is he even still alive?"

Kazuya sat up, holding his bruised jaw, "Why did it take seven canonical entries for my father to finally kick the bucket?"

Asuka hurried over to them, shaking her head, "Kazuya Mishima? That's not right, you shouldn't have so much grey hair. And, you look so feeble now compared to when you took out Heihachi. Are you a clone?"

Jin pushed Asuka away, "Careful Asuka, he's dangerous."

Asuka grabbed Jin's hand, pushing it away, "I doubt he's gonna try any funny business with all of my friends and relatives around. Besides, I'm not scared of some geezer."

"Still, you need to be careful," he looked over at Lars, "And you – where is the rest of the Tekken Force?"

Alexanderson helped Kazuya to his feet, "Well, the "useless piece of junk" as you called her, is charging in the armory. Though I have no idea what Kuma and Lieutenant Rizal are up to," he shook his head, "That stupid bear. He's been nothing but a pain since I met him in that jungle a few months back."

Asuka looked at Kazuya, "What do you even want?"

Xiaoyu slowly walked up to them, "I kinda already told you. Lars called me a bit ago telling me that he was bringing Mr. Mishima here and that he wanted to help us."

Jin scoffed, smiling wickedly and pointing a dangerous finger at his father, "Yeah, I got something you can do to help me: Go jump off a cliff and break your neck."

Kazuya folded his arms, looking away from Jin, "I know you hate me, and you have every right to…" He looked back at him and tried to hold one of his shoulders, "But I urgently need to talk to you about something that's been happening to me since my fight with Heihachi! I just need you to- "

Jin knocked his hand away and punched him in the face, sending him spiraling though one of the glass doors. This time, Asuka was the one to react, drop kicking him and holding a hand behind his back, "That's coming out of your damn check, Jin!"

Lars shook his head, then stepped forward, only to be stopped by Lee who nodded, "I need to catch up with my old rival, anyway."

The Swedish Commander nodded, "Thank you Lee." He looked down at Jin, "Now listen, I can deal with you being Vice President of this company. Be lucky that the Tekken Force is working alongside Kazama Organization. I'm only doing this for Asuka and…I made a promise to Miss Rochefort."

Asuka gasped, looking up at him, "Wait, you know Lili?"

Alexanderson nodded, "Yes. We met early on during my amnesia. I promised her to keep Jin in check, which I'm definitely going to do. Not only because he's on probation, but also because it's my job as his uncle."

Jin shrugged Asuka off, who fell on her butt. The young man stood, dusting off his coat, "Please, like you actually care. You're just like everyone else, rubbing into my face how terrible I am." He stepped up to Lars, looking him face to face, "That's all you do, that's all Kazuya has done, that's all Heihachi has done! Sure, you were there during the war, but where were you when my mother was killed!?"

Before Lars could react, Jin rose into the air, alarming Asuka, "Jin don't you dare!"

Xiaoyu cowered away a bit, "He's not gonna go all sadist on us right here, is he?"

Kazuya looked up towards his son, Lee holding onto him as they walked back in, "Umm, maybe it's not an appropriate time to come back in."

Chaolan nodded, "Excellent observation, brother." They both exited back out of the building.

Jin held his arms up, violet growing along his body as he transformed, "It's always Jin is evil, Jin is terrible, Jin started a fucking war! You haven't seen evil! I'll show you evil, Lars!" Red energy flowed into his eyes, ready to burst from his forehead towards Jin who squared up into a defensive stance.

Lars shook his head, "So that's what it looks like!"

Asuka felt her own dark presence creeping onto her body, "Damn it Jin, I will seriously kill you if you destroy my building! It was a birthday present!" The young woman felt a combination of fear and anger overtake her as she was ready to leap up and attack her cousin. She wouldn't let him destroy her home. Not after what happened last time.

Devil Jin cackled, "Don't worry Asuka – I know exactly where my target is! I don't plan on missing!" The beast stared into Lars' eyes, time moving to a halt as the foyer filled with a red light, "Feel the wrath of god…"

Asuka didn't even see the laser move as Lars was sent through the wall of the foyer into a separate office, screaming weakly as papers and wood tunneled out from the divot his body created.

Devil Jin looked toward one of the windows next to him and held out his hand, the glass instantly dispersing Asuka, maybe you should consider growing some wings. Your form of Devil is interesting, but it's nowhere near as elegant as mine!" With one final psychotic laugh, Devil Jin soared from the building and into the afternoon sky.

A few cleaning androids hustled and bustled around the foyer, sweeping up debris, replacing glass, and patching up holes. Lee studied their actions, writing on a clipboard as Asuka walked up to him.

"Thanks for your help, Mr. Chaolan," she rolled her eyes, "I have no idea what to do with Jin nowadays. He's a complete dunderhead."

Chaolan waved a finger, "I'm not going to respond to you calling me "Mr. Chaolan." I'm a part of your family now – call me Lee."

"Okay. Lee it is, then," Asuka thought over all the people she had met recently. For the longest time, it had only been about her and her hospitalized father. And because the latter was in the hospital, it had really only been her. Now she had her hotheaded cousin Jin, that bastard Kazuya, the world hero Lars, and this older man who helped Lili give her a new home, "I guess it's true that you can't pick your family."

Lee smiled, "Can't live with them, or without them." He heard someone swear and turned around, causing Kazuya to do the same. Kazuya had apparently cut himself on a long blade of glass that was on the ground. One of the androids walked up to the pile of trash and easily disposed of it all.

Asuka placed her hands on her hips, "This is the demon from the news? He's so old-looking and looks like he might collapse any second.

Lee scolded his brother, "What are you doing? I told you to take it easy! Cleaning up is the _opposite_ of taking it easy!"

Kazuya held his bleeding hand, "Dammit, why did that hurt so much? Why does my body feel so fragile all of a sudden?"

Asuka held the bridge of her nose, "What are you, like fifty?"

Lee rubbed his chin, "Even so, he has the Devil Gene. That alone should give his body more strength. It doesn't make sense."

Mishima held his wrist, looking up at them, "I tried to tell you all that I think something happened to it. I mean look at my hair! It's almost as white as yours, Lee."

Chaolan chuckled, "Except it makes me look elegant and it makes _you_ look like a senior citizen."

"You are one year younger than me – get over yourself."

"Never!"

Asuka smiled, "You two really are brothers, huh? Even if not by blood, I can definitely tell you two just love each other to pieces, right?"

Kazuya held his back, not enjoying the fact that his age was catching up with him, "Honestly, I wouldn't mind patching things up with my other family members. I hated my father, but ever since he died…Something strange has been happening. And that fight with the demon Akuma certainly didn't help."

"Something strange?" Kazama looked to her right to see Lars and another android walk over, the former being assisted by the latter.

Kazuya folded his arms, "So, you're okay after all, huh?"

Alexanderson smirked, "I'm a Mishima. We die hard."

"Hopefully not too hard. How did you lose, anyway? What were you trying to do: block the laser?"

"That's exactly what I was trying to do!"

Kazuya slapped himself in the face, "You can't do that! That's isn't a thing you can do!"

Lee chuckled, "Family is wonderful, is it not?"

Lars nodded, the android letting him go as he took weight off of his right foot, "That is until one of us gets thrown off a cliff."

Mishima shook his head, "I can see it happening to me again. Though whether it'll be by Jin or not is hard to predict. At my current state, I might just have a heart attack beforehand.

Asuka watched them, smiling warmly as the three brothers conversed. She felt a hand on her shoulder and saw the android that had accompanied Lars: She had pink hair and wore a silver and magenta dress, with some kind of communication device resting on both her ears, "Mistress Kazama, Lars wanted to know if you needed any help at this time."

Asuka shook her head, "Oh thanks. Umm, what's your name again?"

The robot stood back, bowing respectfully with her hands clasped in front of her, "I am Alisa. It's nice to meet you."

"That's a nice name. And you can call me Asuka, okay?" The President tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Well I do have one thing that needs to be done immediately."

Alisa Bosconovitch looked away, "I can already tell what you want me to do. And while cannot disobey, I will offer my opinion of the idea if permitted."

Asuka nodded, "Sure – what do you think of going to go after my daft cousin?"

Alisa's eyes flashed red for a moment, "Shove it out your ass."

"Excuse me?" Asuka didn't expect such a blatant expression to pass the lips of this cute robot. Maybe she had a virus?

Bosconovitch shook her head, "Sorry, I've been doing that a lot lately. It's an error with my operating system – it was made by the Mishima Zaibatsu. Master Kazama – well not you, but your cousin – has yet revise it for the Tekken Force. Lee tried reprogramming everything, but was having trouble. And that's because Jin has it locked behind a code that only he knows. It a three-character code that Lee, Lars, nor I could decipher."

Asuka rolled her eyes, "That's Jin for you – the worst CEO in the world. Well I understand if you don't want to go. It's just that Xiaoyu already wants to go after him, but I don't want her going alone. Now, if it makes you feel any better, Jin might still be in Devil form when you locate him, so maybe you'll get to smack him around a bit."

Alisa's eyes widened, "Is that so…? Tell me, are Devil's able to withstand the blade of a chainsaw?"

Kazama looked around, as if looking for something, "Where the fuck did that question come from?"

Before Alisa could answer, Xiaoyu raced over, dressed in a white tank-top, and black sweatpants, "Alisa, that dress is so pretty!"

Somehow the android blushed, "Umm, t-thank you! Wow, what a first impression! I'm guessing you're the one they call Mistress Ling?"

Xiaoyu wagged a finger at her, "You're making me feel old! Call me Xiaoyu!"

Asuka scoffed, "If you feel old, what am I?"

"Sorry, didn't mean to make you feel like a granny!" Xiao giggled, "I guess you just turned 20 recently?"

"No, I'm 18. Legal in the Americas!" Asuka pondered, "Which is pointless since that biker dude is Korean. Though we're in New Baltimore, so I guess they'd arrest us anyway."

Asuka jumped when Alisa engulfed both her and Xiaoyu in a red light, scanning their bodies, "Asuka Kazama was born September 3, 1998."

Kazama looked around, as if looking for someone and spotted Hwoarang talking to another soldier with shaggy brown hair that hung against his shoulders, "Hey, do you have measurements in there, by chance?"

Alisa paused, "Sure, would you like those now?

"Nah. In a little bit though."

Xiaoyu folded her arms, "Asuka, we need to look for Jin. If I can't flirt, neither can you!"

The President groaned, "Fine, fine!"

Alisa continued, "Ling Xiaoyu was born on January 14, 1997."

Asuka squinted, "What? Wait, so she's older than me?"

Xiaoyu stuck her tongue out at her, "Sure am, you whippersnapper!"

Asuka rolled her eyes, "Fuck if I care. Anyway, now that we're done with that," she looked back over to where Hwoarang and the other soldier were, only to see that they had disappeared, "Ugh, I guess you two should go after Jin," she turned to them, "Remember, only use force if need be."

Alisa saluted her, "Roger."

Xiaoyu raised her hand, "Umm, boss – what do I do in the case of where he uses his psychokinesis and begins choking me?"

Asuka scratched behind her head, "Well in Alisa's case, she should try to wriggle free or play dead so he drops her. In your case, Xiao, I suggest you just pack a good amount of tissues to clean up the mess you'll probably make in your pants."

Xiaoyu chuckled nervously, "Unfortunately, that was a very practical response."

Alisa shook her head, "There won't be any psychokinesis grabbing while I'm around!" She raised her arm up, looking to stretch, then brought it back down in a swift motion, a chainsaw blade launching from her hand.

Xiaoyu jumped, but Asuka clenched her fist, "Aw yeah, that's fucking badass!" The android then darted from two of them, charging at the door and crashing through it like an action hero. Xiaoyu pulled at her pigtails, still unsettled by the android's sudden ferocity.

Ling shook her head, then waved at Asuka as she departed after her partner, "We'll keep in touch! See you later, Asuka!"

The President waved back, watching Xiaoyu grab onto Alisa's waist, then scream as the robot shot into the air. She nodded – things seemed to be going well for her. Though she needed to get back to Lili as soon as possible. _I wonder if I can bring her here. I must have a medical facility somewhere in this building_.

Lee snapped Asuka out of it, taking her hand, "Asuka, we have a problem!"

Kazama panicked, looking up at him with a shocked expression, "Oh, what now!?"

Chaolan stepped to the side, allowing the CEO to see Lars holding onto a fallen Kazuya, looking for a pulse and calling out to him in fear and worry, "It's Kazuya. I think his body is failing him…"


	6. Fifth Bout: Human

**Hello All. Sorry for the hiatus. This one is gonna be short, but i will be working on the next chapter tomorrow, so stay tuned.**

 **GET READY FOR THE NEXT BATTLE!**

Asuka watched over Lili, her mind filled with regret. She looked back toward the door of the infirmary to see Dr. Abel walk through, dressed in a brown turtleneck and black jeans, "Dr. Abel."

Gregorio bowed dramatically, "That is, in fact, my name."

"Thanks again for bringing Lili to Kazama Organization," she turned back towards her, holding the girl's fragile arm, "Even though she was only away from me for a few days, I'm glad she's back."

"Yes, well Mr. Rochefort wouldn't have it any other way. After what happened to her, he insisted Sebastian and I bring her here. I mean, she had been staying with you so your new home technically is her new home as well."

Asuka nodded, "I almost forgot about that agreement. It's been almost a year since the King of Iron Fist Tournament VII. Almost a year since that disgusting piece of trash Heihachi was killed. Good riddance to him."

Abel nodded, "I doubt anyone will miss him."

Kazama folded her arms, "So what about the cybernetic surgery."

He sighed, "Sebastian pleaded with the man, but Mr. Rochefort would hear nothing of it. He said that he'd never forgive himself if Lili lost her humanity in the process. Something about him preferring her to die a human, rather than live as a cyborg."

"There are worst alternatives, I assure you," Asuka was about to scream until she heard a gruff voice from behind her. Kazuya held his bruised arm, bandages wrapped around his bare chest. He was wearing a hakama with an assortment of reds and oranges on it, and on his feet rested wooden geta.

Gregorio sighed, "I told you to rest. The cybernetics might not function properly if you don't let the metal cool."

Kazuya punched the air, alerting Asuka as she noticed that Kazuya's entire right arm was torn as certain points, revealing metal ligaments and joints, "I've been ripped apart and put back together once before. I think my body can handle a little warming up. Now that I'm human again, I need to start getting my body into shape. I'm done relying on genetics to save my life. From now on, I'm going to work harder than I ever have in my life!"

Asuka lifted an eyebrow, "Human? You mean that stuff you were talking about earlier wasn't a joke? You lost your Devil Gene? How is that even possible?"

Mishima opened and closed his hand, the gears fully audible from among the ripped skin, "I tried telling your stubborn cousin that, but he wouldn't listen. If anyone could understand what it might mean, it's him. Jin is the only other one I know with the Devil Gene. That is," he looked over at Asuka, who widened her eyes a bit in suspense, "Unless you have it as well."

Asuka lifted an eyebrow, "The Devil Gene? I don't have the Devil Gene. Isn't that a Mishima thing?"

Kazuya shook his head, "No, it isn't. If that was the case, Lars would have the Devil Gene as well."

"But he has that whole electric thing. You know, the Electric Aura I think is what you called it."

Mishima looked down, "From what I've gathered from Heihachi and Lars, I believe that Electric Aura is a special energy that my grandfather Jinpachi created long ago. It took him several years, but he could channel his spiritual energy and pour an overwhelming power into it, making it visible to the naked eye. That's why I have that ability. The Devil Gene is something completely different."

Gregorio interjected, his attention turning to changing Lili's dietary solution that hung next to her bed, "He's not incorrect. Something my uncle had studied for a small period of time was the spirit energy of fighters that entered a few of the earlier tournaments. The first phase of the experiment had to do specifically with melding Devil genetics with human genes. Though I'm unsure if he ever got to finish his research."

Asuka folded her arms, "Devil and human genetics, huh?" Asuka thought to herself, looking over at Lili who desperately needed parts of her body repaired, "How successful was he?"

Kazuya cleared his throat, "I have an idea what you're thinking Asuka, and it's not a good one. Melding Lili's DNA with that of a mock Devil?"

Kazama scoffed at him, "What other choice do we have? Her father won't allow her to undergo cybernetic repair. But maybe if she can get some kind of genetic therapy to fix her body…" She pointed at Kazuya, "You said yourself that the Devil Gene saved your life on numerous occasions, and if what you say is true about losing it recently, the operation would only be temporary! Mr. Rochefort would easily be able to spot metal limbs – but minor mood changes?" She punched the air, "This could be the answer!"

Asuka poked Greg's chest, "Doctor Abel, where is this data your uncle was working on!? We have to send a unit right away!"

Kazuya took Asuka's shoulder, "Do you hear yourself!? Using a Devil-like gene to repair her!? It's not going to end well, I can tell you that from experience!"

Asuka glared back at Kazuya, her eyes yellow, causing the older man to step back. Kazuya had a lot of nerve judging her. Lili wouldn't wake up unless they did something soon! This motherfucker wasn't about to ruin it for her, "Do you know who you're talking to!? I'm in charge here, not you buddy!"

"Uh oh…" Gregorio took cover behind Lili's bed as Asuka held her hands in front of her, black acid lacing them.

Asuka smiled, "You said you needed to train, right Kazuya? Well try to dodge this!" The woman rose her hand into the air, a black blade erupting from the ground, sending Kazuya flying back out of the clinic. He was able to block it, and looked around the long corridor for his opponent.

Asuka send a jab into Kazuya's face, but the older man was able to stop it, and send a hard kick into Asuka's stomach. She collapsed and attempted to roll away, but Mishima kicked her while she was down.

"Stop this!" Kazuya dodged more black blades that erupted from the floor, "You don't know what the Mock Gene will do to her!"

"I do!" Asuka charged the man, kicking him into the air and smacking him with her powerful elbows, "It'll bring her back to me!"

Kazuya rolled on his back and swiped his feet at Asuka, sending her to the ground. After this, he sent a quick three-hit combo to her air-borne body, the last blow stunning her. Asuka quickly flipped a few times to get away from the man, the latter dashing after her.

"You can't play god! Using this method will only make things worse!" Kazuya attempted to perform a quadruple roundhouse kick to Asuka, but she blocked the second blow, stopping Mishima in his tracks. Pulling at his leg, she tripped him up, making the man cry out in anger. Finally, Asuka jumped on top of him and continuously punched him in the face, a visible rage consuming Kazuya.

"You aren't going to stop me Kazuya!" Asuka quickly stood, waiting for Kazuya to try and recover. Just as he was about to retreat again, Asuka swiped her leg around and it connected with the back of Kazuya's leg, spraining it temporarily. Kazuya fell over, pulling his leg to the side and clutching it as his muscles begged him to admit defeat.

Asuka held a fist up to Kazuya who pounded his hand against the carpet, "Alright, alright! You made your damn point!"

The President looked down at her arm, a few cuts on it. The black material quickly covered them, healing her body almost instantly. She looked down at Kazuya, feeling guilty. If he was really telling the truth, she had a bit of an unfair advantage over him. Did she really have the Devil Gene? Or was it something else entirely?

Asuka shook her head and offered her hand to him, the latter accepting it. She sighed, bowing towards him, "I'm sorry for how sudden that spar was, but…I just have to try this. If it really does go as badly as you think it will…" Asuka folded her arms and looked at the ground, the thought of a Devil Lili making her shudder, "I'll be the first one she kills…"

Kazuya stood for a moment, then bowed as well. He then stood slowly, stretching his abdominals a bit as blue electricity licked at his body, "I do appreciate the warm-up. My muscles aren't as strong as they used to be and I'm a bit slower than before, but I think if I keep at this, I might be able to retain some of my power from my time with the Devil Gene…" He then sighed solemnly, "…And if this is what you want, then I can't stop you. If you want to save her by this means, then I can only wish you luck."

Asuka smiled, "Thanks cousin…" She held her chin thoughtfully, "So the Devil Gene is really gone, then? I mean, from your body?"

Kazuya walked back towards the way they came, "I believe so. There are numerous factors that lead me to believe that the Devil within me has disappeared."

Asuka quickly followed, "Maybe Dr. Abel can run some tests on you. Find out for sure."

Dr. Gregorio met them halfway, a few drones repairing the clinic's windows, "I was already planning on doing a few tests on Kazuya, but I need Jin here to be sure that there is a distinct difference present. And Jin's blood would also prove to be an excellent antidote in case the Mock Gene tries to take over Lili's body. Or we might be able to fuse the two and better our chances of it working."

Asuka nodded, "Then it's a good thing I sent Beta Team after their Captain."

Kazuya lifted an eyebrow, "Beta Team?"

"Jin, Xiaoyu, and Alisa. They should work well together. Now we just need a squad to go after that information."

Gregorio winced, "That might not be a clever idea."

Mishima slowed down, alarming Asuka who supported her older cousin's weight, "Careful, Kazuya," she looked at Abel, "Why is that such a bad idea?"

Before he could answer, someone came running down the hall – it was Sebastian, dressed in a white t-shirt and brown jeans, "Miss Kazama! You all have to see this. Come quickly to the foyer!"

Asuka clenched her fists, "More unwelcome news?"

"I'm afraid so. It's Feng Wei, madam. He's back and he knows you're alive…"


	7. Sixth Bout: Pain

**Here's a nice, hot chapter for you all! Got a little fan service here, a little AsuRang there - but we're also introduced to more familiar faces!**

 **GET READY FOR THE NEXT BATTLE!**

Asuka walked into the foyer to see Hwoarang and the soldier with long hair watching over a woman with a long red dress on. Her hair was tied into an oriental knot, her lips red, and black high heels on her feet. Kazuya walked with her, then paused, recognizing the woman instantly.

"Anna Williams?" Mishima walked closer to her as the woman slowly looked up at him.

"Boss?" Anna struggled to get up, bandages on her arms and legs, "Dammit, those Halo Initiative tools really did a number on me." She bowed in respect to her former higher-up.

Kazuya kneeled, looking over her body, "What did those fools do to you!? What happened here!?"

Asuka looked at the woman, a worried look on her face, "What's going on here?"

Hwoarang noticed his boss walk up and nodded towards her, "Ah, there's our fearless leader. This woman claims to know Kazuya Mishima. And apparently went toe-to-toe with members of Halo Initiative."

The long-haired soldier shook his head, a gruff voice coming from his throat, "Damn those Halo cronies. They have no honor in battle, ganging up on her like that."

Anna winked, "Oh come on, Kuma, don't refer to it like that. You're gonna get me excited," she winched and held her abdomen, "Damn, it hurts to thot."

Kazama stomped her foot on the tile, "Could someone please explain to me what these Halo guys have to do with Feng Wei?"

Hwoarang shook his head, "You're not gonna like it, but apparently he works with them."

Kazuya grunted angrily, "Tell us Anna – who specifically did this to you?"

Anna blushed, "My, my, Kazuya. I didn't know you cared so much."

He looked down at his right arm, metal visible underneath his skin, "Yeah, me neither," He looked back up at her, "But we need to know who the culprits are. For Asuka's sake too. That man tried to kill her, and was successful with her friend."

Asuka clenched her fists, her left eye glowing yellow, "You don't know that!" She was about to lunge at him, but Hwoarang held her shoulder, shaking his head at her. For some reason, the anger that had started to spark within her dissipated.

Kuma slid a clawed hand into his brown hair, "I have an idea. But we need a squad present to execute it, and I'm not entirely sure if Lieutenant Rizal is ready."

Hwoarang smirked, "Josie? The girl's cute, but I'm not sure she's ready for recon." Hwoarang immediately looked down at Asuka, who had met his eyes instantaneously, then looked away, her face red.

The bear shook his head, "I've always had my doubts about Josie. I almost left her in the Philippines after she fainted on me."

Anna smiled, "Well you're a pretty scary beast, Mishima. Give the girl a break."

Asuka nodded, "Just to be safe, someone should go with Josie on whatever mission you have for her."

Kuma looked towards the skylight, "We need a distraction in order to get the resources for Lili's transfusion, right? So why don't you, Hwoarang and Josie challenge Halo to an exhibition match? It could be sponsored by a new tournament! Feng and his group of mercenaries wouldn't miss it for the world."

Kazuya snapped his fingers, "That could work! While the three of you are fighting the higher-ups of Halo, that should give a few of us the cover we need to infiltrate their base."

Kuma growled, "I'm not going anywhere with you."

Asuka slapped herself in the face, "Kuma, don't do this!"

The bear continued, "I didn't necessarily like Heihachi some of the time, but he was my owner. I'm here because on behalf of the Tekken Force – you can die in a volcano for all I care."

Kazuya scoffed, "All aboard the Kazuya hater bandwagon, huh? What else is new?" The older man held his chest, dropping to one knee as his heart rate accelerated.

Asuka walked over to him, Hwoarang assisting her as well, "Jesus, Kazuya! You're not really in much shape to go anywhere right now!"

Hwoarang concurred, "She's right. We need to figure out how to repair you completely."

Kazuya groaned, "Being a cyborg sucks sometimes."

Anna tried to get up and help, but couldn't find the strength. Kuma offered his paw, "You need to get to the infirmary too."

Williams smirked, "As long as I get to share a bed with him."

"Are you guys seriously in a bath house right now?" Asuka stood in front of the tablet, her new navy jacket hanging on her shoulders.

Xiaoyu shrugged, "We need to give the people a little fanservice, you know?"

Alisa nodded, floating next to her with goggles over her eyes, "You don't want us exhausting ourselves, do you master?"

Asuka rolled her eyes, "You guys have no idea where Jin is, do you? Alisa, don't you have, like some tracking device or something?"

Bosconovitch paddled closer to the screen next to Xiaoyu, "I did but Lee removed it since it works in both directions. He didn't want Jin being able to reprogram me in the future," her eyes glitched red, "Which means fuck all since the dick basically put a virus in my system."

Xiaoyu giggled, "You're funny when you're on your robot period."

Alisa's eyes remained red, grabbing Xiaoyu's wet pigtails, "Commencing eradication."

"You're kidding right…? Alisa…? Buddy?"

"Drowning beings now." She dunked Xiaoyu's head under the water, the latter flailing her arms around. Xiaoyu pulled herself up, her breasts exposed as she gasped for air.

"What are you trying to do, kill me?" The Chinese girl began squeezing water from her pigtails as Alisa's hands went over Ling's boobs.

Alisa smirked, her eyes going back to normal, "Commencing purple-nurple: now!" She squeezed the girl's nipples, a shriek coming from her comrade's mouth.

Asuka couldn't help but laugh, "You guys are hopeless!"

"What'cha watching there?" Kazama almost pissed herself when Hwoarang poked her in the shoulder, the girl hiding the tablet behind her.

She perspired, thinking of a lie, "Umm, I plead the fifth?"

Xiaoyu spoke from behind Asuka, "Hey Howie! How's it hanging?"

Asuka paused, "Howie?"

The taekwondo master called from in front of Asuka, "Hey Xiao. How are the girls?"

Asuka repeated herself, "Howie!?"

Ling grunted, still getting teased by Xiaoyu, "Getting molested by a robot. Same old, same old."

The President turned and ended the transmission on the tablet, then looked up at Hwoarang who shrugged, "What are you doing?"

The Treasurer shrugged, sliding his hands in his pockets, "Why little old me? Whatever do you mean?"

Asuka pointed at him, "Don't play with me, Hwoarang. I know what you're trying to do, and it won't work." She folded her arms, "Besides, we've got bigger problems. We need a martial arts outlet to send our message to Halo Initiative. They, might think an outright challenge is a trap and not participate. But if we have someone else sponsor the bouts, they might be more trusting."

Hwoarang eyes widened, "That's all you need? Why didn't you say so? I know just the person!"

Kazama's eyes widened, "Seriously!? You're kidding, right?"

"Nope. I've got a friend – Steve Fox. He's a middle-weight legend in across the globe. If we can get his organization to sponsor us, Halo wouldn't be the wiser."

Asuka jumped up and hugged him, thinking of how much close Lili was to getting the treatment she needed. Could this really be the answer? The plan was almost perfect. Lili would get better in no time. She looked up at him, her eyes blurry, "Hwoarang, I could kiss you!"

Both of them looked in each other's eyes, their cheeks warming up. Almost like magnets, their faces came closer to the other's, and their eyes slowly closed, the other's warm breath rushing into their nostrils and against their mouths.

"I'm here, Prez!" Asuka and Hwoarang's eyes darted to the door of the office as a woman in a black and blue uniform walked into the room. The girl covered her mouth, blushing, "Oops, I'm sorry! I didn't know your boyfriend was here, too."

Asuka was about to speak up, but immediately felt her spirits fall for some reason as Hwoarang spoke up, "We're not dating, Lieutenant Rizal."

Asuka held her arm, embarrassment consuming her as she looked at her shoes, "What he said…"

Josie shook her head, "Sorry about the interruption. I was sent here by Captain Mishima – well, Mister Kuma. Umm, is it just me or has he changed a bit within the last few months?"

Asuka shrugged, "I haven't known him for very long, so I wouldn't know. But I'm guessing you're here to help us find-" she looked at Hwoarang, "Steve, was it?"

Hwoarang nodded, "Yep, Steve Fox."

Josie giggled, "Is he cute?"

Asuka jabbed Hwoarang in the arm, "If he's anything like this dummy, then you're probably better looking elsewhere."

The older man rubbed the back of his head, "If you're okay with a momma's boy, then I say knock yourself out. I swear the guy is obsessed with this Nina chick whom he claims to be his mom."

Kazama thought back to Asuko and frowned, "I honestly think he should give up. And if he ever brings it up, I'll say it to his face."

Josie whimpered, "What? But Miss Kazama, that seems a bit harsh."

Hwoarang shook his head, "I agree with Josie. You don't need to bring Nina up to him when we find him, okay?"

Asuka rolled her eyes, "Let's just get going, okay? Where is Steve right now?"

Hwoarang smiled, placing his hands into his leather jacket, "We're going to San Diego…"


	8. Seventh Bout: Game Plan

**SORRY FOR THE HIATUS EVERYONE. BEEN WORKING ON MY OWN ORIGINAL WORK: OASIS - SOUTH THAT'S AVAILABLE ON WATTPAD AND WILL EVENTUALLY BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE. PLEASE LOOK OUT FOR IT, AS SUPPORTING ME WITH THAT BOOK WILL GIVE ME THE EXTRA TIME I NEED TO WORK ON TR. BELIEVE ME, I LOVE WORKING ON THIS, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE TIME ANYMORE DUE TO WORK AND SUCH. ANYWAY, THIS CHAPTER IS FILLER, BUT I'LL TRY TO HAVE THE NEXT ONE OUT THIS WEEKEND.**

 **GET READY FOR THE NEXT BATTLE!**

Asuka held the bridge of her nose as the SUV continued down the freeway, "Okay, once more from the top – what is everyone's current objective?"

Xiaoyu was about to speak up when something crashed behind her, the other members of the conference looking to her for an explanation, "Umm, Beta Team is busy apprehending one of our squad's members: Jin Kazama. We're currently in a New Baltimore Restaurant – it's kind of nice. Hispanic themed. Don't eat too many of the beans, though."

Hwoarang was about to speak up from the driver's seat when Alisa's head hit Xiaoyu in the face, followed by Devil Jin slicing a table in half with his laser beam, "You fight like a girl!"

Bosconovitch spoke as Xiaoyu picked her head up, showing it to the conference, "We should probably focus on that, Ms. President, not trying to be rude or anything. Good news: The chainsaws hurt him." Alisa's eyes flashed red, "Unfortunately, they aren't drawing enough blood from his disgusting body."

Xiaoyu scoffed, "His body isn't disgusting!" Devil Jin screamed, a citizen flying across the room, "But yeah, Beta Team out!" The screen shifted, showing two groups of people now instead of three.

Gregorio Abel rubbed the back of his head, "Uh-huh. Are you sure Alisa and Xiaoyu can take Jin by themselves?"

Josie moved forward from the backseat, "Alisa and Xiaoyu seem like pretty competent fighters. They should be okay."

Lee Chaolan ruffled his purple hair, looking at schematics on his desk, Abel and Sebastian with him, "There has to be something here. It's a shame Julia won't help me with this, but the fact that none of my sources have clear leads is certainly not excellent!"

Asuka squinted, "The hell? Why is Lee dressed like some flamboyant dancer?"

Sebastian looked at one of the blueprints, "He's not Lee, apparently. He wants to be called 'Violet' now, for some reason."

Lars spoke up, sitting next to a weak Kazuya on one of the beds, "Violet Systems is the name of his company. He uses the alias Violet because…"

Violet clasped his hands together, never moving his eyes upward – though it was hard to tell with his purple sunglasses on his face, "During the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, I wanted to sneak in and try to defeat Heihachi. But as usual, Kazuya always gets his way."

The older brother mocked him, "Trust me, little brother – if you want my life right now, you can damn well have it."

Kuma referred to Violet's earlier statement, "What did you mean by 'Julia won't help you?' Who is Julia, again?"

"Julia Chang is the CEO of Chang Biological Research & Preservation – or CBRP for short. It's a small company that I helped fund. The two of us became friends in a matter of weeks due to our mutual hate for G Corporation."

Kazuya could only snort, "I think I know exactly what the problem is – she suspects that you're working with me."

Abel rested a fist under his chin, "Maybe she suspects Violet, but does she know that _Lee_ is the same person?"

Sebastian shook his head, "I hope not. G Corporation captured her. If she found out that you were working with the former CEO of that very company, she might not take it very well."

Lars stood from the bed, "That doesn't matter now. What does matter is Kazuya's health – at least for Gamma Team. Dr. Abel talked to me about Kazuya's condition: Apparently the power cell in his body is damaged and it needs to be fixed."

Abel nodded, "That's true. Unfortunately, I can't make a new one unless I can find either a schematic of the same kind of power cell or a replica. And I'm not sure Kazuya has enough time for me to draw up a schematic from scratch."

Hwoarang turned the SUV into a marketplace, loud music and chatter making it harder to hear the conference, "Well, where can we find a replica?"

"Well there's good news and bad news: The good news is, the technology was made for the Mishima Zaibatsu, yet was stolen by G Corporation, so a version of it definitely does exist somewhere. The bad news: We have to assume that any traces of the power cells are no longer in any MZ or GCorp laboratories since they've been ransacked by police and apparently Halo Initiative themselves."

Violet sighed, "That's the last thing Julia told me before she stopped answering my texts."

Kazuya felt his head, "A replica of the power cell…? Mishima Zaibatsu…? I feel like there's a connection here staring me right in the face…What do those things have in common?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Gregorio smirk, as if he knew the answer and was withholding it. Before the President could speak up, Abel snapped his fingers, "Of course! A Mishima Zaibatsu experiment is still alive that has the very generator inside him that Kazuya does."

Asuka seemed skeptical, "That seems way too convenient."

Kuma nodded, "I agree with Ms. Kazama. How do you know this?"

Gregorio shook his head, "I've worked with the Mishima Zaibatsu, remember? I've dealt with various scientific studies before regarding the organization. Sure, I never worked on this perpetual generator myself, but my uncle did and shared information with me from time to time, even assisting me in creating some parts of it. All I need to do is see the generator, maybe even play with a few parts, and I can make one for Kazuya in 10% of the time it would take to scavenge for a blueprint."

Sebastian eyed the scientist, "Pardon my intrusion, but how do you know that G Corporation also had these plans…if you only ever worked for the Mishima Zaibatsu?"

That was an interesting question and Asuka had a good mind to question the scientist further, but Alexanderson cut him off, "It doesn't matter. If what Dr. Abel says is true, we need to confront that test subject and get that generator replicated," Lars clenched his hand, sliding it across his chest, "I didn't go through all this war just to give up on people. I won't let the same thing with Togou happen with Kazuya."

Violet slowly rose from his blueprints and adjusted his sunglasses, "Lars…that last statement bothers me for some reason…"

Kuma smirked, making Asuka uncomfortable, then looked toward her, making her shiver, "We'll let you know what we're planning soon. Gamma Team, out." Their half of the screen disappeared, causing the last group – Violet, Sebastian, and Abel – to take up the entire field of view.

Abel clenched his fist, "What are they planning?"

Violet sighed, "Whatever it is, I fear for Kazuya and Anna."

Josie twirled a lock of hair against her finger, "Does Lars and Kazuya have bad history?"

The purple-haired ergonomist nodded, "Honestly, I believed Lars got over it, but after that ominous statement, I'm not so sure. And Kuma being in the same room – I feel that the Tekken Force Commanders might have their own agenda."

Hwoarang shook his head, "They wouldn't go against their contract, would they? G Corporation is gone – what's done is done. Besides, it's not like Anna or Kazuya themselves killed his friend, did they?"

Josie shook her head, "It's not that simple. A subordinate's irresponsibility is their commander's responsibility."

Asuka rolled her eyes, "You see, stupid fortune cookie shit like that is exactly why I never want KO to become a military firm. That's a stupid lesson to live by. We're all allies now – those two need to get with the program or they can fuck right off."

Gregorio smiled, "Couldn't have said it any better myself."

Violet pressed a finger to his mouth, his hair bobbing back and forth, "Quiet! I think I found the laboratory we need to go to for the Mock Gene! It's in Building 8 – one of the only building's still intact."

Sebastian held his forehead, "Oh dear, that sounds like a trap set up by Halo."

Abel replied, "How so?"

Hwoarang smirked, "I can answer that one: The fact that most of the Mishima Zaibatsu buildings have either been destroyed, ransacked by thieves, or quarantined by the police means that scavenging will be next to impossible at this point. The only way it could still be intact is if Halo now owns the rights to the building."

Asuka shrugged, "We already figured that – that's why we're taking away their attention using the exhibition matches that your friend is going to sponsor, remember?"

Hwoarang shook his head, "Unless your pal Feng is stupid, I figure they're still gonna be one or two operatives guarding the place. If Delta is going to look for the Mock Gene, they need to be careful or Halo is going to find us out and someone could get killed."

Josie whimpered, "Would this Feng Wei guy really kill one of us?"

Asuka felt her body heat up, the pain in the left side of her face returning temporarily as she remembered the explosion and the oven against her epidermis, "Not if we kill him first…"

Violet tapped his chin, "Our Treasurer is correct – we can't make a move without a plan. Something I don't have yet. We'll have to think about this before we decide. Until then, you all focus on distracting Halo's higher-ups."

Kazama nodded, her heart rate going back to normal, "Thanks, Lee."

Violet winked, "Who's Lee? Whoever he is, he sounds very handsome." With that, the conference call ended.

Josie held her head, the beret resting there falling off and revealing silky brown hair, "All of that was hard to follow."

Asuka smiled back at her, "Don't worry – it's not your job to remember it all. Speaking of jobs," she looked over at Hwoarang, "Nice strategizing back there. Makes me think that you've been in the military before."

The Korean Treasurer winked at her, "Gee, I wonder why you get that idea," he turned into a parking lot, men and women in boxing apparel chatting and practicing together on the sidewalk and freshly cut grass, "I was actually drafted into the military in SK. Special Operations. Hated almost every second of it, but at least I learned a few things."

Josie tapped Asuka in the shoulder, "I love a man in uniform, don't you?"

Kazama had been adjusting her top, not completely focusing on the conversation, "Huh? Oh sure, military dudes are cute, I guess." At first, she didn't realize what she had implied.

Hwoarang raised an eager brow, "Oh, so I _am_ cute, huh?"

Asuka blushed and looked out the window, "Just because I said military dudes are cute, doesn't mean I meant _you_ specifically, Captain Hook!"

Hwoarang rolled his eyes, "Dude, that is _totally_ what you implied. And who are you calling Captain Hook, with your Two-Face looking self?"

Before Asuka could respond, someone pounded on the hood of the SUV, the former jerking her head toward the culprit. A man wearing a green hoodie and gold chains waved to them, his blonde hair flowing in the afternoon winds, "Oy, govs! This parking spot is for paying customers only! Gonna have to ask you to stop flirting, and start boxing, aye?"

Hwoarang laughed, calming Asuka's nerves, "Asuka, Josie – meet Steve Fox…"


	9. Eighth Bout: Triple Threat

**TOLD YOU GUYS I'D HAVE IT OUT THIS WEEKEND! I JUST FELT LIKE MOVING THE STORY A BIT FASTER SINCE NOT MUCH HAPPENED IN THE LAST ONE. AND WE FINALLY HAVE ANOTHER FIGHT! THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL WHO READ THIS STORY! IT MEANS ALOT AND I CAN'T WAIT TO CONTINUE IT :)**

 **GET READ FOR THE NEXT BATTLE!**

"Hwoarang, my mate! How's it hanging?" Steve playfully slugged the man in the arm a few times.

The Korean Treasurer shrugged, "Pretty low, about nine inches from my pelvis."

Asuka chuckled, eyeing the brightly lit boxing establishment, "You should be a comedian, Hwoarang. You sure have a vivid imagination," Kazama barely missed a painter as she struggled to balance the cans in her arms, "Sorry!"

Josie couldn't take her eyes off the British man, her gaze stuck to his rigid arms, "My imagination is pretty vivid too," she began talking to herself, her eyes closed, "Oh yes, punch me more! Gimme a left hook to the face!" Out of nowhere a fist flew her way, knocking the Filipino woman onto one of the training mats, causing a couple of students practicing there to stop their fight.

Steve folded his arms as the student that hit Rizal bowed in apology, "Did she even look ready for that left hook, mate?"

The student shrugged, "Hey, she _did_ ask for it."

Asuka poked Josie like a dead insect, the Lieutenant's eyes in a daze and drool pooling on the mat, "I don't think she's making it to Round 2." The President groaned, "Let's just come back for her."

Steve lifted an eyebrow, his gaze resting on Asuka's injury, "So just the two of you want lessons, then? That's pretty convenient since I have a couple's special going: 4 weeks for $40."

Hwoarang shook his head, "No, we aren't-!" The brunette paused, thinking over the idea, "Wait, how much for 4 weeks?"

Asuka pushed her subordinate aside, "Ignore him. We aren't here to box. We actually need to talk to you about a sponsorship. And please don't ask about my face, I just got in an accident it all."

Steve nodded, leading them to the back where an office awaited them, his name in gold letters above the phrase _President: Fox Chapter_ , "A sponsorship? Didn't know you were the kind to attend diplomatic meetings, Hwoarang."

Hwoarang nodded, folding his arms, "You see, I'd rather be going after Devil Jin, but my _fearless leader_ wanted me all to herself," the man shrugged, smirking at Asuka's cold stare, "It's the price such a sexy and fierce Korean warrior has to pay to please her woman."

Kazama rolled her eyes, "Anyway, now that he's done wanking his own codpiece, how soon do you think you can arrange a little spectacle between a couple of rival companies? You could even get Coco-Cola involved to spice things up."

Steve let them into the office – it's posters and trophies lining the large interior, being topped off with a large boxing ring in the center of the room – where he placed his hands on a few documents with familiar logos on them, "First of all, Coco-Cola is gross, Pepsi is the only soda coming close to this bout, mate. Second, I kinda already have something like that in the works."

Hwoarang placed a hand on his hip, "That's great. Looks like Kazama Organization's got a new supporter," he looked over at Asuka, "See how simple this was? I told you I'd _come_ through for ya."

Asuka rubbed the back of her head, her face betraying her, "I guess you did okay," she then looked up, realizing the perverted word play that almost soared over her head, "Hey, wait a minute!"

Fox lifted an eyebrow, "Uh, who said anything about Kazama Organization?"

Both of the KO representatives looked at Steve with confused expressions, "Pardon?"

"As much as I'd love to help represent you two, I was already approached by another organization," he looked through his documents on the table, "Though I forget the name of the representative that approached me. It, uh, started with a K."'

Asuka's heart rate slowed, "Oh, so it wasn't Halo Initiative. Feng's name doesn't start with a K, last time I checked."

Steve smiled, holding up a folder with a large, gold H on the front, the letter surrounded by a ring of similar color, "Nah, mate, you we're right. She was from Halo. You got history with them?"

Hwoarang slapped himself in the face, swearing in Korean, "You gotta be kidding!"

Fox rubbed his chin, "Right, bad history. Well, I mean, it can't be that bad, right?"

Asuka's left eye began to glow, her body starting to shake, "Not that bad? Their leader tried to kill me!"

Hwoarang took her shoulders, "Whoa, calm down, Asuka. He didn't know."

Steve turned away from them, looking out the window toward his students where they practiced in the field, ate ice cream, and overall enjoyed their youth, "Look…This is gonna make me sound like an asshole, but I can't back out. Now I don't know what happed with you, and this Feng guy, but he isn't even involved in this deal. I don't know too much about Halo, but I know that they helped fun this place…"

He looked back at the posters showcasing his victories in the middle-weight circuits across the world. Steve eyed the various belts and trophies along the walls. Finally, he looked down at his boxing gloves, taking them from the desk and sliding them on his hands, "Triple Threat Martial Arts & Recreation is all I ever dreamed of…It's been my desire to give back to boys and girls that weren't as fortunate as me in the world of boxing…They needed a chance and I needed a way to give it to them…It just so happens that the Halo Initiative got to me first and offered me and my two partners enough money to make it happen."

Asuka shook her head, "Something tells me that they gave you way more than we could give you…"

Steve pounded his fists together, slowly looking up at them, "Five million dollars…"

Hwoarang, being the Treasurer of KO, almost had a stroke and Asuka had to keep him from falling down, "We'd be lucky to make that much overall by the end of the year!"

Kazama's temper hadn't subsided and she roughly placed the Treasurer back on his feet, turning her attention to Steve, "So that's it? It's just about the money with you? You're just gonna drop your friend and side with murderers?"

Steve shook his head, his teeth visible, "Oh piss off, you wanker! You two already confirmed to me that you're working with that knob Jin Kazama, so don't even try to pass off Kazama Organization as squeaky-clean!"

Asuka's body began to heat up, but she couldn't exactly tell Steve that he was wrong – because he wasn't, "Jin is trying to make things better for himself!"

"And that includes destroying restaurants?"

Hwoarang winced, "I'm regretting opening my mouth earlier."

Asuka continued, black sludge crawling up her leg and torso, though her clothes made it impossible to see this, "That's not Jin. That's the Devil Gene! What excuse does Feng have?"

Fox shook his head, "Feng didn't come to me, like I said before. Just because he owns the corporation, doesn't mean he came to me personally. Hell, I'd be surprised if he even showed up."

Asuka let her rage billow down a tad, thinking about how that could make things bad for them. If Feng wasn't at the exhibition, then would it be safe for Delta to go after the Mock Gene. No – she had to make sure Feng was there. Even if she didn't get to fight him, he needed to at least be on her radar. The woman sighed and walked toward the boxing ring, sliding her hand against the rope. She met Hwoarang's eyes and then turned her attention to Steve.

Fox watched her carefully, then noticed a few of the students walking by, watching through the window and open door. He smirked, "What? Trying to prove a point?"

Asuka shrugged, still scanning the area. One of the individuals watching seemed suspicious – she wore a yellow sundress and white hat, while caramel sunglasses rested on her face. The fighter slid over the ropes and jumped into the ring, clenching her fighting gloves, "What? Worried you might get yourself hurt in front of your students?"

Hwoarang also noticed the individual, her gaze locked on Asuka and Steve. He smirked, catching onto taunt, "Yeah Steve, you gonna take that from her?"

The boxer shrugged, walking up to the ring and jumping into it with ease, "Nah, gov, just don't want to break your Barbie doll of a girlfriend here."

Asuka squared up, "Barbie doll, huh? If I'm a Barbie, you're a Troll. Let's get this over with!"

Hwoarang smacked the mat as the two combatants circled each other, both with smiles on their faces, "Final Round! FIGHT!"

Asuka was the first to attack, sending a backhand towards Steve who blocked it easily, though he staggered back more than he was expecting to. She then sent an elbow at him, which was also stopped. Kazama stayed on the offensive, trying to rush him, but ultimately failed as her attacks were far too slow. Steve quickly side stepped and punched her once in the side, making her stagger back a bit. Some of the students cheered and mimicked the moves as they watched the battle. The mystery woman continued watching, her arms folded.

Steve taunted Asuka, punching at the air as he gave himself some distance from his opponent, "Ouch, that one looked like it hurt!"

Kazama smirked, barely registering the pain, "Please, your punches tickle," she stepped back and watched Fox's movements as he sent a few more punches her way, quickly losing focus as his strike speed increased. Though the punches themselves didn't hurt much individually, the boxer made up for that in how quickly he attacked. She couldn't find an opening.

Asuka dropped her hands, one of his punches hitting her in the jaw, causing her to fall over and hit the mat. She used this moment to slide a foot towards his leg, missing. Kazama swore, trying again, and succeeding. Steve fell to the floor, allowing Asuka to roll away. Hwoarang continued watching the fight quietly, taking not of everything occurring during the bout.

"You're pretty speedy," Kazama watched his movements once more, adapting to his patterns as sweat slid down her face. The pain of her injury interacting with the salt water pushed her adrenaline through the roof.

Steve bobbed and weaved, obviously taking notes as well, "And you're legs fucking hurt. But don't count on hitting me again, luv. I've got a remedy for that."

Asuka inhaled and exhaled softly, forcing herself not to heal. She then rushed Steve, sending a furious elbow for his face, which he blocked again. This time after the first strike, she sent a knee to his chest, which he hadn't been expecting. Steve yelled, flying through the air, landing on his head. Kazama took this opportunity to send a quick combo towards his airborne body, finishing it with a kick that sent his body against the boxing ring's ropes. Some of the trainees booed the challenger, not believing their eyes. Even Hwoarang was speechless at the boxer's position.

The woman in the background simply licked her lips.

Steve stayed there, his back against the barrier, shaking his head as he tried to recover. Asuka smirked, punching her fist with her opposite hand, "Pfft – you're all show!" She arrogantly charged him, her attack's trajectory on point with his face as her rage energy locked into her knuckles.

The British man smirked from the ropes, looking up with a glint in his eye as he quickly sidestepped, his fists in front of his face. Asuka gasped, realizing her mistake, but was unable to correct it. How did he jump out of the way so fast? She went off balance as her attack whiffed, giving Fox enough time to wind up a final punch, blue ki surrounding his glove, "Night, night love! Thanks for playing!"

Red essence shot from Asuka's mouth as her spine shifted ever so slightly in her back, a visible barrier of energy shattering as the world temporarily halted its rotation. Steve stood back, Asuka grunting in pain as she tried to keep her balance. Kazama fell onto the mat, her hand immediately going to her back in order to ease the strain there.

Hwoarang quickly stepped over to her position, genuine concern on his face, "Asuka, are you alright?"

Asuka tried to focus on his face, her teeth bloodstained. She smiled, "Oh, who are you? You're sexy as hell…"

The Korean scratched his head, "Yeah, I think she might be out of it. She's never that honest." The Treasurer paused as he looked back towards the crowd – the woman was gone.

Kazama quickly came to her senses after hearing her own voice blurt out such drivel, "Damn it, Hwoarang! I don't need you to coddle me like some damsel!"

Hwoarang shook his head, turning his attention back to the President, "I literally just asked you if you weren't dead."

"Maybe I wanna be dead! I'm an independent Japanese woman, that don't need no man to save me from impending doom!" Asuka slowly rose and held her head, looking up to see Steve offering her his hand.

Fox nodded, "Good match out there, luv. You had me going there for a while. Thought you might break my nose or something."

Kazama scoffs and swats his hand away, proceeding to get up on her own, "Fuck off, pretty boy. You got lucky."

Steve shrugged, "You gotta lose some time, luv. And today was your time to lose. It's not that big a deal, aye?"

Hwoarang watched his boss grab the ropes and jump out of the rings, shoving past him and heading out the office, "She's not really the losing type, Steve."

"No shit? Looks like you two have that in common, huh?" The boxer quickly hopped out of the ring, feeling his face and finding a cut there, "If it's any consolation, though elbows and thighs of hers did a number on my face, they did. I was pretty close to conking out, myself."

Hwoarang slid his hat off his head, fanning himself with it, "Are we still on for that exhibition?"

Steve walked past him, beckoning him to follow, "Oh sure. It'll be fun to study that girl's moves some more. And I never got to see that other girl in action. It'll be a treat."

The Treasurer punched the air, "They'll be glad to hear. I can't wait to bust some Halo Initiative heads," he looked up at his friend, "That includes yours too, I guess."

Steve held a fist out, "You better bring your a-game, then."

Hwoarang met Fox's fist with his own, "Hell yeah…"


	10. Ninth Bout: Weird Japan

**BACK AGAIN, EVERYONE! DID YOU MISS ME? BEEN WORKING ON YOUTUBE, COLLEGE, AND OTHER STUFF RECENTLY. GONNA TAKE A BREAK ON MY BOOK UNTIL I GET THE MONEY TO PATENT IT. UNTIL THEN, IM GONNA KEEP WORKING ON RIVALS. THIS MIGHT BE THE LAST FILLER CHAPTER OF THE FIRST ACT. I DON'T KNOW YET! ENJOY!**

 **GET READY FOR THE NEXT BATTLE!**

Josie Rizal took off her t-shirt, revealing her red bra, "Oh man, I really blew it this time. And not in the way I would've liked."

Asuka Kazama lay on her hotel bed, chewing on a piece of caramel, "It's fine, Josie. Boys are overrated anyway."

The Filipino slid off her skirt, revealing matching briefs, "You only say that because Stevie got to beat you up." The girl began to blush, "Lucky."

Asuka looked over at the girl, "I don't kink shame, but I can't quite understand how getting hit in the face makes your lips quiver." The President shook her head, "In other news, did you ever get a glimpse at that chick in the hat?"

Rizal shrugged, "Nope. As soon as I woke up, I sprinted to the van. Do you think someone is stalking us?"

"If they are, it's likely they were from Halo Initiative. Which is why I challenged Steve to a fight in front of all those students. Feng probably doesn't want his operations publicized, so chances are that he'll most likely at least be watching the exhibition closely when it arrives in a couple of days. He's already stolen from me and attempted to murder both me and…" she hesitated, "…Lili…" Asuka shifted on the bed, her blue pajamas adjusting along with her frame, "…If someone from the media caught hold of Halo's schemes, he'd be in trouble."

Josie snapped her fingers, her white nightgown sparkling along with her bright grin, "Oh, I get it now! With Feng distracted, Delta Team can focus on getting that Mock Gene for you!"

Asuka nodded, "Right. This can work out as long as everyone does what they need to do. That means your fish-loving boss and my crazy-haired cousin need to keep their acts together."

Josie knelt down to rummage into the mini-fridge, "I'm sure Commander Mishima and Commander Alexanderson have good intentions."

Kazama shook her head, "That's what I'm afraid of." Asuka turned on the television, revealing a news anchor that had just started her report.

"In other news, Jin Kazama – former CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu was seen today in what appeared to be his "Devil" form. This form was used also by his father months prior just before his father Heihachi Mishima's disappearance. Many of our journalists believe that Heihachi is finally gone this time, though some of us are still speculating over this. With the Mishima Zaibatsu gone, and Jin now on thinner ice than before, what lies in store for the rest of the Mishima family. Some officers question the integrity of Lars Alexanderson: Co-Commander of the Tekken Force Private Militia.

Asuka rubbed her forehead, a tired look on her face as the news lady continued, "The Commander states that his partnership with Kazama Organization is proof that his ties with the Mishima Zaibatsu are far behind him, and he'll be dealing with Jin's outburst personally once he's back home in New Baltimore. Currently he is staying in a San Francisco hospital, recovering from his fight with fellow squad members."

Josie smiled, "Well, at least Beta Team is together. Are you planning on letting them rest, or did were you going to send them to do something else?"

Kazama turned the television volume down, "They can rest for now. I can't have Jin earning strikes so quickly like this. They might start questioning _me_ or something. The last thing I need is the police thinking I have the Devil Gene too."

Rizal opened a can of diet soda, "Well…do you?"

Asuka shook her head, "I can't have the Devil Gene. I don't have the Devil's Mark," she revealed her right arm, "See? Nothing."

"Are you sure that's a trait you have to have? I forget who got the Devil Gene firsthand. Was it Jinpachi?"

The President shook her head once more, "No. I assumed Jinpachi had, much like everyone else. It was a spirit. A vengeful one seeking retribution." Kazama walked over to the window, peering out at the night sky, "Though, I've been theorizing something: What if the vengeful spirit was a Devil Parasite?"

"Devil Parasite?"

Asuka nodded, "Violet had talked to me a bit while you were in the shower. I asked him if he already knew how the Devil Gene – or Devil Parasite – worked. He told me that he did, and that it was one of the reasons Heihachi disowned him after the earlier tournaments. The Devil Parasite isn't simply a genetic trait. It's something that stays dormant in the host's body until the natural will of the holder is broken. For example, if you're thrown off a cliff at five years old or shot in the back of the head with a pistol."

"That seemed very specific." Josie scratched her head.

Asuka snapped her fingers, "Stay with me, Lieutenant. At that point, the brain is incredibly weak and prone to lowering the person's overall defenses. That's when the Parasite starts to take over. Sometimes fully – like with Kazuya. Sometimes partially – like with Jin. And sometimes, the host gives into the power and can turn the transformation on and off – like with Kazumi and the Hachijo Clan."

Josie folded her arms, "This all really confusing. I'll just assume you know what you're talking about. You are a higher rank after all."

Asuka scoffed, "It's not like I wanted to. I had to read up on the dossiers of all my employees beforehand, so I learned quite a bit about the Mishimas in the last week or so."

Rizal sipped more of her soda, "Is Lili still doing okay?"

"Still in a fucking coma, if that counts as _okay_ to you," Asuka covered her face, "Sorry, that was uncalled for. It's not like you blew her up."

Josie sniffled, tears already flowing from her ducts, "N-no, that was insensitive. I'm sorry, senpai."

Asuka panicked and turned around, waving her hands, "No, no! It's okay, really! Umm, please don't cry!"

Rizal started bawling, "I'm a bad Lieutenant! I should've just stayed in the Philippines! I just mess everything up!"

Kazama pounded at her temples. What would fix this? What could make Josie laugh? She searched the room and her eyes landed on the bed. There was a couple of pillows laying there, which gave her an idea. Asuka picked up the pillow and tossed it at Josie's face, the latter ceasing her waterworks immediately.

Josie watched Asuka as she picked the other one up and held it at the ready, "Just gonna stand there, dummy? Or are you ready to catch these hands?"

Rizal looked down at her own weapon, then up at Asuka who charged at her. Josie smirked and picked up the pillow, shielding her face with it. Asuka smacked her once, which was blocked. Josie found an opening and attacked, feathers flying in the air. Asuka then retaliated, smacking Josie in the breasts.

"Hey, those are sensitive!" Josie returned the favor.

Asuka stuck her tongue out, "Wrong pillows, stupid!" They both continued hitting each other as the filling flew in all directions. Josie jumped onto her bed, missing Asuka's downward swipe. The Filipino's gown rose dramatically, which Asuka catcalled in response to.

"I see London, I see France!" Kazama also jumped onto the bed.

Josie blushed and looked at Asuka's pajama bottoms, seeing her chance at revenge, "Oh yeah, Prez? Well two can play at that game!" Rizal smacked the pillow against Kazama with enough force to knock the pillow from her hand. She then wiggled her fingers and grabbed Asuka's pajama pants down around her ankles and pushed her off the bed.

Asuka cried out but could help snickering, "Hey, what's the matter with you!? I could've been going commando!"

Josie cackled triumphantly, "I am the queen of the hill! Bow before me, peasant of the blue and white stripes!"

Kazama playfully bowed, "You have bested, great queen! You are the champion of pillow fights! Long live the queen!" When she looked up, Josie had pounced on her, causing both of them to laugh, their underwear exposed to the warm air.

Asuka took a deep breath, "That's the happiest I've been in a while."

Josie rolled her eyes, "Oh, come on. Doesn't Howie make you happy?"

Kazama was about to say something, but then looked around to see if anyone was listening, "If I tell you, you have to keep it a secret."

Rizal saluted her higher-up, "If I say anything, feel free to fire me. My lips are sealed!"

"Well…I suppose…he isn't exactly ugly…"

Josie squealed in Asuka's ear, causing the latter to cover them as she sat up, "I knew it! You do like him! I was right!"

Asuka covered her mouth, "I didn't say all that, dummy! And shush, we don't know how thick these walls are!"

"Oh relax. I think Hwoarang is taking a shower. He can't hear us." Josie stretched her arms, readjusting her gown and held onto Asuka's pajama pants that Asuka began reaching for.

The President pouted, "Hey, gimme those! My legs are cold!"

Josie stuck her tongue out, "Nope, loser! You don't get them back until I, the champion of the pillow fight, lets you have them. I'm the queen, remember? Besides, we're not done talking about boys yet!"

"How so? I already said Hwoarang was…cute…And you already fawned over the idea of Steve beating your face in. What else is there to say?"

"Well, what do you think of your cousin, Jin?"

Asuka pressed her fingers together, "I-I have no idea what you're talking about. He's my cousin. That's all there is to it."

Rizal winked, "C'mon, Asuka. I've studied Japanese culture before. Incest isn't a crime there. That's why it's depicted so often in media – because it isn't a big deal. If you like him, I'm not gonna shun you just because we're in America. Hell, in the Philippines, it's the same way. I'm not sure about South Korea, though."

Asuka shook her head, "Look, if you're asking me if I'd smash, then _maybe_. But he's a prick and Xiaoyu already has his eyes set on him. I wouldn't even think of getting in the way of that."

Josie sighed, "Yeah, Jin's pretty cute. Though he can be a bit of a butthole." She looked at Asuka and took her shoulder, the latter looking up in surprise, "Hey Asuka...Are we friends…?"

"Josie…" Asuka was taken aback.

"I ask this because, well. I look up to you. Lars and Kuma are great leaders…But they aren't my friends. And now that I'm stationed here in the States, I don't get to see my old buddies all that much. And most of them were kids anyway. Yet with you, I feel like we might be able to get along…I know I can never replace Lili, but I don't like it when you mope around the way you have been. You have such a beautiful smile."

Asuka smirked, her face red, "Gee. Hwoarang might have some competition the way you're flattering me tonight."

Josie smiled as well, "So…are we friends?"

Kazama pushed her in the shoulder, "I wouldn't have let you pants me like that if we weren't!"

Rizal's eyes widened, tears beginning to flow again, "R-Really…? I'm so happy!"

Asuka smacked herself in the head, "Not again!" Both girls jumped when they heard a knock at the door. The President sighed and stood, forgetting about her lack of pants.

"Who is it…?" Asuka's eyes went straight for Hwoarang's chest, the latter holding a towel around his waist.

"I can hear-" He looked at Asuka and noticed her line of sight, taking her chin and pushing it upwards so that Kazama was now looking in his eyes, "I can hear you two all the way in my bathroom. Could you both go to sleep already?"

Asuka searched for words, her eyes darting back down to her Treasurer's chest, then back up at him, "Umm, sorry about that. We'll head to bed soon."

"Asuka?"

"Yeah Howie – I mean, yeah?"

"Where are your pants?"

Kazama mentally made a note to drown herself in bleach after the man left. She totally forgot about that and felt air rush against her bare legs. She attempted to cover herself, but was instantly assaulted by Josie, who wrapped the girl's pajama pants over her face.

"Here they are!" Josie yelled.

Asuka panicked, not immediately realizing what was happening and flailed her arms a bit, knocking Hwoarang away. She then lost her balance and fell forward, hitting a wall. Seeing stars, the President fell down and landed on something solid. Asuka pulled the pajamas off her face and instantly looked back at Josie, "You idiot, you made me think I was getting kidnapped or something! I could've died!"

Josie covered her mouth, her face red, "Umm, Asuka, I think you might want to look in front of you."

Kazama whimpered, something hitting her in her front. She kept doing so, not wanting to look at the man she landed on. Slowly, she turned, noticing the towel on the ground. She kept turning and finally landed her sights on Hwoarang, who was sitting before her with a flustered look on his face.

The Treasurer coughed, "You're kinda heavy…"

Asuka was frozen, every fiber of her being telling her not to look down.

She did anyway.

Asuka immediately regretted it, "Well, looks like you weren't lying…" She looked up at him, "Not bad…"

Hwoarang looked around, noticing others in the hotel had come out to see what the commotion was about, "So, you wanna take this to my room or yours?"

Asuka lied through her teeth, "Actually, I'd rather just slit my own throat."

They both looked up to see a young blonde man with a German accent walk up to them, a bag of groceries in his right hand, and an apple in his left. He took a large bite out of the fruit, then turned around, walking in the other direction, "Weird, weird Japan..."


End file.
